Smoldering Ember
by DomYang
Summary: Framed for a crime he did not commit, a Dragonslayer is left and forgotten by the ones he cherished before vanishing as they did. A forgotten fugitive with a new purpose, along with a new guild of close friends, Crime Sorcière's mission is to ensure that Fiore remains safe for all. But what happens when remnants of the past resurface and seek redemption? What of the future? (OOC)
1. Chapter 1

"Natsu!" - Person Talking

"_Natsu!_" - Person Thinking

**"Natsu!"** \- Large Being Talking

_**"Natsu!"**_ \- Large Being Thinking

**"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"** \- Magic

**Hey guys, Dom here bringing you a story I've been thinking up for a little bit now. Like my Persona and Naruto fic, it was just a spur of the moment so the first chapter isn't really good at all. More then three quarters of the chapter are paraphrased retellings of the battles during the S-Class Trail arc. For the most part, nothing really changed, the only thing that is missing is Natsu of course. So yeah, not the best chapter in the world but I didn't want to half-ass the scenes because there are some people who like having that back story and I don't want to leave them without knowledge. So yeah, first chapter as always is bad and stuff. But I hope you'll enjoy this because I had a pretty cool time writin it. Well, let's a go.**

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Smoldering Ember - Chapter 1

Sitting on the rickety bed in his cell, Natsu thought back to the events that led up to his imprisonment. Never would he have thought that trying to save his friends would cause him to end up in prison, but what made it sting the most was the fact that they all agreed that it was for the best if he was the one who was the scapegoat for the council. He knew that he caused a bit of destruction but really, everyone who was a part of Fairy Tail had a bit of a destructive streak.

"Especially Gray, that stripper causes just as much damage as I do, even more probably." Natsu muttered under his breath, leaning his head back onto the pillow as he stared at the ceiling of his cell.

The reason for his imprisonment was mostly due to the newly established magical Council seemed to have grown more and more intolerant of Fairy Tail, despite the fact that the Oración Seis, a member of the Balam Alliance, was destroyed by it assisted by the Legion Corps. The new Chairman, Gran Doma, heavily resented his guild, going as far as to threaten to disband them should another chaotic incident occur with Fairy Tail involved. The pressure of possible disbandment and of the upcoming S-Class Mage Promotion Trial eventually forced Fairy Tail's hand, the guild calling together a meeting to discuss the situation.

(Flashback - A Few Days Ago)

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Fairy Tail Guildhall)

"Quiet you brats! This is a very serious matter, we need to be serious this time around!" Makarov shouted as the rowdy guildhall quickly quieted when he exerted a bit of his magical pressure.

"Good. Now listen up, the new council has been cracking down on us much more harshly then before. They've threatened us with disbandment and this time I don't think that they are merely bluffing this time around. I want you all to try and limit your destructive tendencies from now until the trials." Makarov said as a murmur went through the guild, mostly directed towards a pink headed dragonslayer.

"Come'on Gramps! Has the council actually followed through with the other threats to disband our guild? I mean I know that we break a few things from time to time but do you really think that they'll actually do it this time?" Natsu as he flashed his trademark grin, the others giving him dry looks at his statement regarding breaking a few things.

"I'm afraid that this time they really do mean it, especially with Gran Doma as the new chairman. He's a stubborn one and he holds no love for our guild." Makarov said in a serious tone as Natsu's grin faltered.

"So what are we going to do Master?" Erza asked in a concerned tone, Makarov closing his eyes for a few seconds in thought before opening them once again.

"They said in the letter that they would disband Fairy Tail in the event that something destructive involving our guild happens. I hate to ask this of you all and I hate it even more that I'm forcing you to turn on each other but I would like to ask all of you who you believe is the most destructive person here." Makarov asked, though he knew the answer already as everyone turned to face Natsu as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"C-Come'on! I'm not that bad am I!" He shouted in indignation, the stares only growing as he got a light dusting of pink on his cheeks.

"Natsu. You destroyed nearly all of Hargeon after we met." Lucy said as she winced slightly, remembering the amount of damage that he caused.

"Hey, Bora destroyed a lot more of it then I did!" He countered as the others laughed wryly at his rebuttal.

"What about destroying the Master's meeting place during the battle with Lullaby huh Flame Brain?" Gray asked, Natsu turning to his with an irritated expression as they glared at each other.

"That wasn't just my fault! You and Erza were there and you helped sent Lullaby crashing into it!" Natsu shouted as they butted heads, sparks arcing between their gazes as the others sighed at their petty argument.

"Enough you two!" Erza shouted in an angry tone, her eyes promising pain as the two instantly latched onto the other's shoulder in a buddy-buddy manner.

"Aye!" They shouted as she gave them a smile in return, sweat running down the sides of their heads.

"Master, we all know that the most destructive individual here is Natsu, what's the reason for asking?" Mirajane asked as everyone turned their attention to, a little curious as he took a deep breath.

"The council asked to have our most destructive person sent over to the Rune Knight's for a week of rehabilitation, though imprisonment would be the more appropriate term." Makarov said as the eyes of everyone widened upon hearing his statement.

"W-What! That's completely idiotic!" Erza shouted as she tried to discern if Makarov was lying, gritting her teeth when she saw how serious his face was.

"We can't just give up a member of our guild! It's just not manly!" Elfman shouted, many choosing to ignore the last part of his statement.

"Elf-niichan is right, how could we just give up Natsu to the council!" Lisanna shouted as she stared tearfully at Makarov, an uproar beginning to take over the guild as Makarov's eye twitched.

"Quiet!" He shouted, the sources of the uproar dying as soon as they heard his voice, unusually angry and serious.

"Do you think I like it any more then you all do? I've been told, been forced to hand over a person I see as my own child! The only alternative is disbandment, do any of you want that!" Makarov shouted as the rest of the guild lowered their heads, ashamed of accusing him of agreeing willingly.

"...I'll do it." Natsu suddenly said in a low tone, the heads of everyone snapping to him with wide eyes.

"W-What...?" Makarov asked, a little taken back by the calm statement of his most rambunctious child.

"I'll head to the Rune Knights for whatever they want. It's just a week right?" Natsu said with an easy going smile, everyone a little taken back by how calm he was.

"Natsu what are you saying! They'll just keep you in a cell for a week!" Lucy shouted as she stared at him, a little stunned by how serious he looked.

"It's just for a week, I would rather do that then have our guild disbanded." He said in a serious tone, making everyone nearly drop their jaws when they heard it.

"Natsu's broken!" Happy shouted as he flew around in a panic, only stopping when Carla and Pantherlily managed to calm him down.

"Natsu... We didn't mean for you to sacrifice yourself like this." Erza said in a guilty tone, looking down at her feet.

"Come'on Erza! It won't be that bad, it's only a week!" Natsu said in an attempt to reassure and cheer up the redhead, succeeding slightly when she raised her head and gave him a pained smile.

"Gramps, I don't mind heading there for a week. After that, we can start the S-Class Trials!" Natsu said in a cheery tone, managing to lift the spirits of the guild a bit as they hesitantly agreed with his offer.

"I'll ask you once more Natsu, are you sure you want to do this. There's no guarantee that you'll be treated kindly there." Makarov said in a serious tone, the guild flinching as they got the underlying message.

"_You might be injured if you agree to go._"

"Yeah, I'm not scared." He replied in a confident tone, Makarov nodding his head as he went to his office for the communication lacrima.

As he left and the sound of the door to his office closing echoed in the guild everyone turned and gave Natsu a myriad of expressive looks. Then, they all charged at him with questions and shouts of disapproval for his choice to go, his eyes spinning when Erza starting shaking him aggressively while demanding he rethink his decision. After a couple of seconds she finally let him go only for Wendy and Lisanna to tackle him and hold him tightly, refusing to let go of him as they pleaded for him to stay.

"Natsu-san, you can't go! What if something horrible happens to you!" Wendy sobbed slightly, burying her face into Natsu's side.

"Wendy's right! What if something goes wrong and this is just a trap Natsu! Think about it!" Lisanna pleaded at him as she tightened her grip on him.

"Everyone! I'll only be gone a week, it's not the end of the world! It's not like a horrible monster is going to show up or anything right!" He shouted at them, trying to get them to understand that it wasn't like the world was going to stop revolving for the week he was with the Knights.

The sound of Makarov's office door opening catching the attention of everyone present, they turned with teary eyes at Makarov and only grew sadder when they saw him nod his head. Turning to Natsu, he nodded at the pink haired youth before jumping down and gesturing for him to follow. As he did, Wendy and Lisanna reluctantly letting go of his form, he gave them all a toothy grin as he waved goodbye.

"I'll be back before you know it! Just wait for me until then ok!" He shouted as his guildmates gave him a tearful reply.

(Flashback - End)

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Rune Knight Branch Building - Natsu's Cell)

"Of course that was about a week ago... I should have been out of here by now." Natsu sighed, turning over on his side as a guard walked past, Natsu standing and calling out to him.

"Yo, do you know when I'm getting out of here?" Natsu asked, the guard jumping slightly at his sudden voice.

"H-Huh? Oh, Natsu-san. I'm not sure, there was nothing on the list of prisoner releases." The guard reported, Natsu's eyes widening as he quickly hopped off his bed and moved towards the guard.

"What do you mean?! I was only supposed to be in here for a week, maybe a day more tops!" He shouted as the guard flinched at his tone, obviously not knowing what the pink haired young man was talking about.

"I-I can check again for you Natsu-san, I'll be right back!" He squeaked before running off towards the main hall.

After a few minutes, Natsu turned and flinched when he saw not the guard but an unknown cloaked individual. Stopping before Natsu's cell, the figure scanned Natsu from head to toe before facing Natsu's confused gaze. As they brought their hand up, revealing a feminine arm before a small glowing red sphere appeared in their hand. Then, with a quick movement of their hands the sphere multiplied in number as they hung ominously in the air.

"W-What's going on? Who the hell are you!" Natsu shouted in anger, his anger bubbling though the magic sealing stone that made up his cell denied him any use of his magic.

Wordlessly, the cloaked figure threw Natsu a key which he caught in confusion before the cell to his door opened, the figure scattering the spheres levitating around her into his cell as a violent explosion of fire consumed the wing of the prison he resided in, the shockwave from the release of the flames blowing him against the back of his cell as a myriad of shouts and noises made it to his ears. Wincing as he held his head, he quickly froze when he saw the angered and shocked faces of a few members of the council along with the stunned face of the guard from before.

"N-Natsu-san... H-Huh? How did you get a hold of my key?" He asked in a shocked tone as he checked himself for his key, Natsu's eyes widening as he quickly looked at the key in his hand.

"W-Wait! This isn't my fault! There was some hooded person here who did this!" He shouted as Gran Doma simply glared down at the pink haired youth.

"That's impossible Natsu Dragneel. Neither of the two guards stationed at each wing of the hall reported any sign of the individual that you speak of. How you obtained the key to your cell is negligible as I believe we have more then enough circumstantial evidence to find you guilty of an attempted escape not to mention theft, arson and destruction of property." Gran said in a cold tone, Natsu's shocked expression quickly becoming angered as he glared back.

"That's bullshit! I was supposed to be out of here by now anyway!" Natsu shouted as Gran narrowed his eyes, slowly exerting his magical pressure as anger and irritation began to build inside of him.

"Silence! Did you honestly believe we would release such a volatile person without properly educating you? That message said a week of rehabilitation, and do tell me, have you been rehabilitated yet Natsu Dragneel?" Gran said with a frigid tone, Natsu gritting his teeth as they had played him.

Stepping forward, Gran stood face to face with Natsu, the younger man sweating slightly from the pressure of the older man's magic. But refusing to back down, Natsu simply glared at Gran before lashing out and grabbing the wrist of his hand as it reached towards him. Gran's eyes dancing with dark mirth, he simply scoffed before ripping his hand free from Natsu's grip.

"Of course you will not be here for long. You would have begun your week of rehabilitation tomorrow but after your actions today, I believe that a proper punishment is in order. And do not worry, we will inform your guild of your actions." Gran said as he shoved Natsu back into his cell after taking back his cell key, locking the cell behind him as Natsu latched onto the bars and snarled at him.

"You bastard! I didn't do anything! I'm innocent!" Natsu shouted as the rest of the guards and council members simply ignored him, returning to the hall.

(Time Skip - 1 Day Later)

Sitting on his bed with his knuckles bleeding after pounding the walls of his cell in an attempt to relieve himself of the anger that still burned through his veins. Hearing a group of footsteps, he moved towards the door to give the guards another earful only to brighten up considerably when he saw the form of Makarov and Erza. About to call out cheerfully to them, he paused as he saw the dark looks on their faces, confusion swimming through his head as they arrived in front of his cell.

"Gramps, Erza, what's wrong?" He asked in a worried tone, taking note that they flinched when they heard the question.

"What's wrong? What's wrong is what you did Natsu!" Erza shouted as her eyes burned with anger and shame.

"W-What? What did I do! I didn't do anything, I swear! It was that hooded person!" Natsu shouted, having an idea about what this was about.

"You tried to escape Natsu. That alone is a heavy crime but not only that you nearly destroyed the prison wing! But above all else, you injured Gran, the chairman of the council!" Makarov said in an angry and disappointed tone, Natsu's eyes widening when he heard the accusations pitted against him.

"Hurt him? I didn't hurt him, I just grabbed his wrist!" Natsu shouted as he tried to plead his innocence, his heart breaking when he saw the people he cherished simply dismiss his pleas.

"They showed us evidence Natsu... They showed us a video lacrima with a recording of what happened, the explosion, the fire, everything only points to you. No one else in Magnolia or in this prison has fire magic that powerful or as recognizable as you." Makarov stated as Natsu just stared at him in disbelief.

"G-Gramps... You... You don't really believe I did that do you?" Natsu asked in a quiet and pleading tone, his eyes wide and beginning to brim with tears.

"...It's not just us Natsu, everyone in the guild agreed that those were your flames, not a single person disagreed with the assessment." Erza said in a disappointed tone, her eyes shining with unshed tears as Natsu's head dropped against the bars of his cell.

"So that's it...? They show you a made up and fixed recording and you all believe them? After all we've been though? All the years that we trained, laughed, cried and spent together, you're believing them instead of me?" He asked in a hushed tone, Makarov and Erza flinching upon hearing how soft he sounded.

"Natsu... Tell me, who would you believe in this situation? They showed us conclusive evidence. We saw the fire, the explosion, the burn marks on Gran's wrist. How can you ask us to believe you after all the evidence that they showed us? We wanted to believe in you, that you wouldn't lose your temper but you did, you've always lost your temper in the most crucial of times." Makarov said in an equally soft tone, Natsu simply shaking his head as he went back to his bed, ignoring the looks on their faces.

"Just... Just leave me alone... If that's what you wanted to tell me, I don't want to hear any more." He said as he sat on his bed, his bangs overshadowing his eyes.

An uncomfortable silence taking over the wing, Erza was about to speak once more but Makarov stopped her. Turning to face him, he shook his head and gestured for her to leave with him. Biting her bottom lip slightly, Erza reluctantly left but not before giving Natsu one more disappointed look. As they turned to leave, they never saw the tears silently falling from Natsu as he continued to stare at the ground.

A guard passing by Erza and Makarov flinched slightly when he saw the expressions on their faces, Erza looking like she was about to cry at any moment while Makarov seemed to have aged by several years. Returning his focus forward to avoid upsetting the two powerful mages any more then they already were, he passed Natsu's cell and saw that even the powerful Salamander was shedding tears. Adverting his gaze he continued and finished his rounds, nodding and offering a smile to the guard who had his shift next, he took a break in the corner of the lobby room with a drink in his hand.

"The mission was a success Master Hades. We won't have to worry about Salamander." He whispered into a communication lacrima hidden in the collar of his uniform.

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Fairy Tail Guildhall)

Arriving back in the guildhall, Erza and Makarov were met with a multitude of pained and saddened looks, their own eyes reflecting the same expressions their guildmates had. Wordlessly, they moved to their own respective destinations, Makarov heading to his office while Erza headed to the bar. Hearing the sound of his office door closing, the silence that enveloped the guild shattered for a brief moment before it returned once more.

"...Was it true Erza?" Mirajane asked after a few moments of tense and uncomfortable silence, Erza wincing as her head dropped slightly.

"There was no mistaking it. The area in front of his cell was scorched, showing that the source of the flames originated from the cell door or inside. Then there was the burn mark on Gran's wrist, and the only mage who had fire magic in the prison was Natsu. I hate to say it but Natsu really did lose control." Erza reported as a series of gasps popped up around the guild, many unable to believe what they had heard.

"That can't be right Erza-san, Natsu-san wouldn't hurt someone for a reason like that would he?" Wendy asked in a shaky tone, many frowning at the her attempt to remain strong.

"I hate to say it but you know he has an extremely short fuse. After spending a week and a half locked up no doubt he was pissed." Gray said with a small frown on his face.

"Yeah, Salamander's temper is probably even shorter then mine. If he was pissed and that Gran guy pushed him, I'm sure he would've done something." Gajeel said as the others chose not to comment on his statement.

"Natsu is alright right?" Lucy asked Erza, getting the attention of everyone in the guild.

"I... I don't know... He... He was really quiet..." She answered, everyone giving her a puzzled look before they heard Lisanna gasp, her eyes widening at Erza's statement.

"If Natsu was quiet, then he really was upset. He's only ever been like that a few times when we were kids." Lisanna said in a worried tone, her worries soon spreading to the other members of the guild.

But before any of them could speak Makarov entered the guildhall once more, his face serious and free of the sadness that it carried before. Seeing him in such a manner immediately caused the members of the guild to tense, knowing that his expression could only mean something was wrong. Their fears were confirmed when he held up a security lacrima and channeled his magic into it, projecting the recorded image of a ruined and smoldering hallway before the scenes shifted to show Natsu holding a trembling guard by the face.

"_Everyone put of those fires! Make sure they don't spread any further then they already have! Knights, move Natsu Dragneel to another cellblock! We'll be transporting him to the maximum security prison near Alisma, just try and get him under control for now!_" A panicked guard shouted as they saw Natsu throw the one he was holding down the hallway.

"_Damn it! Fall back! Leave this to the anti-magic unit! All of you who can use magic, try and hold him long enough for them to arrive!_" Another shouted before firing a bolt of lightning from his hand in an attempt to paralyze Natsu.

As the bolt sped towards him, Natsu side stepped and avoided the crippling discharge of electricity and moved to engage the guard who tried to incapacitate him only to be sent to the floor when a sudden spike in magical pressure forced him to his knees. Raising his head, he glared at the imposing form of Gran before the security lacrima recording cut out. As soon as it did an uncomfortable and tense silence overtook the guildhall as everyone digested the chaotic scene displayed in front of them.

"...Natsu's gone too far..." Makarov said in a tired tone, his eyes closing as he released an exhausted sigh.

"Master... Natsu was probably just..." Lucy said, biting her bottom lip as she tried to find a reason for Natsu's behavior though nothing managed to come to her mind.

"Lucy don't... We've seen enough..." Erza whispered with her head hanging low, hands balled up into fists.

"He's out of our reach now Lucy..." Makarov said in a solemn tone, shaking his head as he knew what he had to do.

"Oi Master, you're not doing what I think you're doing?" Gray asked in a tone of disbelief, the others looking on in confusion before the realization of what was going on hit them.

"M-Master, you can't! He's our Natsu! He's Fairy Tail's Natsu! You can't do this!" Lisanna shouted in a desperate attempt to stop him from doing what he was doing.

"I'm sorry everyone. I love Natsu and the energy that he brings to Fairy Tail but... We can't continue to support him after seeing that. You have to see where I'm coming from." Makarov said as the rest of the guild lowered their heads, a few shedding tears as they knew that he was right.

"As of today, Natsu Dragneel is exiled." Makarov said in a saddened tone, nearly choking on his own words as he announced what everyone feared.

As he did, he headed towards the data storage room. Entering it, he reached the farthest wall of the room, a large and intricate diagram of a tree depicting every single member of Fairy Tail from the past and present. Holding his hand out to it, he released a pulse of magic as the image of Natsu slowly dimmed before fading away completely. Lowering his hand and his head, he let a few tears escape as he mourned the loss of one of his favorite children.

"Now... Let us discuss the S-Class Exams." Makarov said in a quiet tone as he moved out of the room, doing his best to appear strong in front of his children.

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Rune Knight Branch Building - Natsu's Cell)

Inside of Natsu's cell, he was in the same position as he was when Erza and Makarov left, sitting on his bed with his head hanging down as his hair overshadowed his eyes. But a tingle on his shoulder gained his attention as he promptly widened his eyes, gritting his teeth in an attempt to fight back the tears that desperately wanted to run down his face. Right before his eyes, his guild mark, the symbol linking him to the ones he thought were his friends and family, slowly vanished before him.

"Damn it..." He muttered under his breath as he let his head lean back against the wall of his cell, his eyes overshadowed by his bangs.

The guard from earlier passing by stopped for a few seconds to examine his unmarked shoulder before returning to his route, hiding a smirk under a mask of focus as he rounded the corner and swapped places with another guard. Stepping into an empty corridor, he touched the communications lacrima as he glanced before speaking into it.

"Natsu Dragneel is no longer a mage of Fairy Tail." He whispered before returning to his route, the lacrima pulsing an eerie purple before fading once again.

(Time Skip - A Few Days Later)

(Scene Change - Tenroujima)

Gathered on the ship heading towards the holy ground of Fairy Tail, Tenroujima, Makarov, Erza and Mirajane along with the partnered pairs of Gray and Loke, Juvia and Lisanna, Elfman and Evergreen, Cana and Lucy, Freed and Bickslow, Levy and Gajeel, and Mest and Wendy. Standing above them on the ship, he looked down at them before nodding his head and started to address them.

"Alright you all, listen up! I'll be announcing the details of the first exam." Makarov announced, getting the attention of everyone as they turned to face him.

"The first exam with be a test of both power and luck, power in that you will have the chance to battle and luck in that you may be the ones to get onto the quiet path. There are seven of you and eight paths, three of which will lead to Erza, Mirajane or Gildarts, four that will lead to a battle between the two pairs who end up together there and a final path that is a straight path to the end. You will all be able to choose your own path and walk it, but be sure to have the resolve to face it all the way through." He explained as they all nodded in understanding, tension building in their bodies as they approached the island.

"I wonder how you would have done Natsu..." Makarov said in a whisper as he glanced at the sky, a sense of foreboding taking a firm place in his stomach.

(Scene Change - On route to Tenroujima)

"Are you sure this is a good idea Carla?" Happy asked in a worried tone, the white haired cat simply nodding with a serious face.

"Don't worry Happy, she's just worried about Wendy." Pantherlily said in an amused tone, Carla growing a bit red at his accusation.

"It's because of Mest. In the end Wendy decided to go with him in place of Mystogan. After that she stopped talking to me." Carla said in a slightly hurt tone, Pantherlily and Happy nodding at her words.

"To think she gave even you the silent treatment." Pantherlily said in a slightly stunned tone, Happy nodding in agreement.

"So even Wendy gets upset at Carla." Happy said as Carla simply turned her head away.

"...I just have a really bad feeling about the exams..." Carla said in a worried tone, Pantherlily and Happy tensing a bit at her tone.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

After a grueling few hours of fighting and walking the first exam came to an end. Lucy and Cana were the last to arrive on the island and headed through Path C, encountering Freed and Bickslow. Meanwhile, Juvia and Lisanna encounter Erza, Elfman and Evergreen meet Mirajane, Gray and Loke squared off against Wendy and Mest, and Levy and Gajeel traveled through the safe route.

During those matches Freed and Bickslow lost on purpose since they owed Lucy and Cana, throwing the fight in favor of the two of them though Bickslow was a bit disappointed about the decision. Erza easily defeated Juvia and Lisanna, having not held back though she said she was. Elfman and Evergreen manage to defeat Mirajane by catching her off-guard, . Gray and Loke easily defeated Mest and Wendy, though afterwards they began to have trouble when they tried remembering Mest's background.

Once they were finished with the exams the next part began, the pairs who succeeded proceeding to the next part being the hunt for Mavis Vermillion's grave, the time limit being six hours. During the exam, Erza began to worry about the whereabouts of their youngest guildmate and friend, heading out with Juvia to find her. But unbeknownst to them, there was a dark shadow lurking over the island as an airship slowly made its way towards Tenroujima.

"Kyaaa!" Lucy screamed as they avoided being eaten by a large reptilian beast, sprinting for their lives as it crushed everything in its path.

"Lucy hurry! This way!" Cana shouted as they tried to lose the beast by running through the forest.

With Gajeel and Levy, they were hiding behind a rock avoiding an equally large beast, sweating slightly as it sniffed around for them.

"I-I might die..." Levy muttered as she wrapped her arms around her knees.

"Damn, what an island!" Gajeel admitted in a slightly nervous tone, peeking over the rock only to quickly advert his gaze when the beast glanced in their direction.

"This is nothing, if it means becoming an S-Class mage!" Gray shouted as he sprinted for his life, Loke in toll as they tried to outrun a flock of giant birds.

"You're sure acting tough." Loke quipped as he followed up behind Gray.

"THIS WAY EVER!" Elfman shouted as Evergreen and himself tried to shake off a giant boar-like beast.

"Shut up! Don't order me around!" She shouted back as they entered the woods.

After a few minutes of outrunning and finally losing the beast chasing them, they stopped to catch their breaths as they scanned the area for any other signs of danger. But soon, a sense of dread entered their beings when the sound of footsteps made it to their ears.

"There's... Someone on this island? I thought there would be no one here..." A black haired youth asked, Elfman and Evergreen tensing as they failed to recognize him.

"Who are you?" Elfman asked, turning to face him as he glanced between the two.

"Only people from our guild can enter here." Evergreen added as he tilted his head in confusion.

"Guild? Oh... So this island is administrated by the guild." He said in realization, Evergreen and Elfman looking at him in confusion.

"Hey!" Elfman shouted, taking a step towards him only for him to shrink back as Elfman flinched, the young man holding his hand out in a sigh for him to not approach.

"Fine, I'll leave. Just please, don't come near me." He asked in a polite tone, Evergreen growing nervous as she grabbed Elfman's arm.

"Elfman, something's wrong. We should go." She said in a nervous tone, glancing at the youth as Elfman tilted his head curiously.

"Ever, is it really ok to let him go off like that?" He asked, Evergreen's response being to pull on his arm.

As they were making their move to leave their eyes widened and their instincts screamed at them to take cover as they saw him grip his head. Seeing him wince as sweat began to run down the side of his face, their eyes widened as they moved to run, just barely hearing the words that left his mouth.

"N-No... It's coming... The **Death Preying** is coming..." He muttered as they sprinted, feeling a sudden surge of magic coming from the young man.

His eyes snapping open, a wave of death magic swept out in an arc around him, ending all life that it touched. Whether by sheer luck or instinct, the two dropped to the ground and avoided the deadly wave of magic as they saw the trees before them wither and die. Their eyes widening, they turned and saw that he had vanished, a cold sweat running down their faces as the knowledge of someone with such terrifying magic was on the holy ground of their guild.

Meanwhile with Mest and Wendy, the two were on a cliff face overlooking the ocean. Wendy smiling as she took in the beautiful sights and clean air around her, Mest suddenly tensed before a smile of disbelief made it to his face.

"_H-He's here. On this island?_" Mest thought with a mixed look of disbelief and excitement on his face, turning to face the forests behind him

(Scene Change - Grimoire Heart Airship)

"Master Hades, we've found him. To think he was sleeping here the entire time." Ultear reported as Hades nodded his head, his hands folded before him.

"Finally we met... The Black Mage Zeref." Hades said as a small smirk appeared on his face.

"Let us begin the search." Hades said as the forms of the others in the room revealed themselves.

(Scene Change - Gajeel and Levy's Location)

While en route, Levy began to get annoyed at Gajeel's loud, continuous rants regarding his dead wish, which was to defeat Natsu before he was exiled from the guild. After more then a few minutes of hearing him complain and rant, Levy stated that he never seemed to care about her since all he talks about is fighting someone else. Patting her on the head, Gajeel told her that if she wants him to mingle more with her then she should become strong enough to fight him.

"You want some attention, Shrimp? Then fight seriously with me! Get stronger!" He said as he patted her head, Levy glowering as a small pout made its way to her face.

Hearing him actually say that made Levy upset as she muttered that she's small and weak and before running off alone while calling him an idiot. As she was running, she whispers that Gajeel is a jerk and that she hates him. Suddenly, she hears rustling coming from within the shrubs; two strange-looking mages pop out and attack her without so much as a warning.

"W-What! W-Who are you!" Levy shouted as she backpedaled from the samurai looking mage, only to notice the other mage behind her.

"You first." He said as he drew his katana, rushing towards her.

The samurai-like mage swung his katana towards Levy, cutting off her headband, which makes her fall butt-first on the ground in surprise. As she hit the ground the other Mage quickly moved to secure both her hands and pins her down on the ground. The one with the katana moving to slash her when Gajeel suddenly arrived, blocking the blade with his forearm.

"Tch. It's hard looking for someone so small. So don't leave my side." Gajeel muttered as he glared at the mage before him, Levy's eyes widening before closing slightly with a small blush adorning her face.

"Who are you guys?" Levy asked as she moved to stand up, the two mages backing off as they circled the pair.

"Grimoire Heart." Gajeel said as he saw the insignia of their guild etched into the armor of the samurai-like mage in front of him.

"A dark guild. What're they doing on Tenroujima?" Levy asked as she tensed, clenching her fists as the two dark mages exchanged looks.

"Did Master set up a dark guild for the exam?" Gajeel asked, trying to lighten up the mood knowing the answer.

"Of course not. These guys... They must have snuck in somehow." Levy replied as Gajeel smirked.

"Well, accidents always accompany work. and if it concerns an S-Class mage it's all the more true." Gajeel said as he leveled a stare at the mage in front of him.

When Levy demands to know what their intention is, Yomazu uses his katana to write a kanji in the air as he declares that they came to hunt for Fairies, as Yomazu uses his spell, **Orient Solid Script: Gō**, to generate a deafening sound. Kawazu then charges at the two and Levy tries to warn Gajeel, who isn't able to hear her because of the noise, so Levy grabs Gajeel's shirt to save him from Kawazu.

Turning, Kawazu then shoots eggs from his mouth towards Levy and Gajeel, a spell called **Egg Buster**. Yomazu then appears behind Gajeel and attempts to slash him, but the other man dodges. Levy casts **Solid Script: Silent** to negate Yomazu's spell and, free from the deafening noise, Gajeel hears everything once more and punches Yomazu in the gut, sending him back. Meanwhile, Kawazu attacks Levy with his egg bombs but Levy neutralizes them with **Solid Script: Fire**.

Casting **Orient Solid Script: Zan**, Yomazu attempts to strike Gajeel down with his katana, but Gajeel dodges the attack, which hits the and levels the trees behind them. Gajeel tries to block the next fury of strikes, but they inevitably slash through his armor, at the same time, Kawazu's attacks on Levy become too many for her magic to handle and she becomes rained down on by the eggs. Yomazu casts **Orient Solid Script: Kan** and a beam of light pierces through Gajeel, following up with his **Dark Sword: Narukami** spell.

"If this is the level they're at, we can probably take care of them all before the main squad arrives." Yomazu said as Kawazu nodded in agreement, though they were clearly disappointed in he ability of the Fairy Tail mages.

"W-What... D-Did you say main squad?" Gajeel said as he laid facedown bleeding heavily.

"Looks like he's still breathing-pero." Kawazu said in slight acknowledgement as Yomazu simply stared down at him.

"Yes main squad. The entire Grimoire Heart guild." He said as Gajeel and Levy's eyes widened upon hearing the startling piece of information.

"Levy... Run!" Gajeel shouted as he struggled to stand, Levy staring at him in shock as the two dark mages raised an eyebrow.

"This isn't some mundane war, it's going to escalate to something beyond your wildest imaginations." He said as managed to raise himself to a kneeling position.

"E-Eh, b-but... I..." She stammered as tears began to fall from her eyes.

"You need to let everyone know about this as soon as possible! These guys, I can take care of them myself easily!" He shouted at her, turning to face her slightly as she bit back her cried of protest.

"Don't let her escape!" Yomazu shouted, only for Gajeel to intercept him with an **Iron Dragon's Club**.

"Gajeel! Please don't die!" She shouted, pleading for him to not die as she casted **Solid Script: Iron** as a huge chunk of iron appeared in front of Gajeel, before running away herself.

Gajeel eats the piece of iron, restoring his energy and as he stood up once more. Inhaling, he casted an **Iron Dragon's Roar**, but Yomazu defended with **Orient Solid Script: Bō**, and at the same time Kawazu backing him up with **Heavy Egg Rain**. Yomazu repeatedly slashes towards Gajeel with his katana, but Gajeel retaliates with **Iron Dragon's Sword** that reaches Kawazu, explaining that he won't lose to weaklings of their level. However, Yomazu sees an opening, makes his katana longer with **Tsuranuki** and pierces through Gajeel's arm.

"I..." Gajeel began though he was in pain, Gajeel grabs Yomazu's blade and recalls the moment Makarov had invited him to join Fairy Tail after informing him that Juvia already did.

"W-What power!" Yomazu shouted as Gajeel shattered his katana with his hand, glaring at the man before a sudden spike in magic could be felt in the area.

"I am a Fairy Tail mage!" Gajeel shouted as he destroyed Yomazu's katana, before clasping his hands and swiping down a gigantic sword, **Karma Demon: Iron God Sword**, defeating Yomazu with it.

Just as Gajeel defeats Kawazu and Yomazu, Levy brings back reinforcements; Juvia and Erza. Comprehending the severity of the battle, Erza declares that the exam is now on hold, and launches a signal flare to let everyone know about the enemy attack.

The red flare is seen by the contestants around the island. Cana attempts to ignore it, but Gray and Loke interrupt, as they were secretly following the two, saying that they need to focus on the enemy attack instead of the exams.

(Scene Change - Mest and Wendy's Location)

As she explores the island with Mest, Wendy notices a signal flare in the air but fails to understand what it means. Suddenly, Happy, Pantherlily and Carla arrive, telling Wendy to get away from Mest. The three Exceeds confront Mest, asking him who he really is. When Mest replies that he is Mystogan's apprentice, Pantherlily changes to his Battle Mode and pins him to a boulder, telling him that Mystogan would never accept an apprentice from Earth Land. Wendy expresses her confusion but Carla tells her to be quiet as Pantherlily, thinking that Mest is using a kind of magic that affects people's memories, continues to interrogate Mest. Suddenly, Mest disappears from Pantherlily's grip and appears in front of Wendy. Mest grabs Wendy and jumps to the side just as someone attacks the group.

Mest ordering the attacker to reveal himself, the group sees someone emerging from a tree. The attacker reveals himself to be Azuma, a member of the Seven Kin Of Purgatory of Grimoire Heart. Mest is surprised to see the member of Grimoire Heart appearing but thinks himself as lucky to have the Dark Guild at the island together with Zeref. Mest then reveals himself to be a member of the magic Council who came to the island to disband Fairy Tail. Mest then reveals that a battleship is located near the island. However, Azuma points at the battleship that explodes, much to everyone's surprise. Azuma then approaches the group while Pantherlily tells the others to stand back.

Pantherlily charges at Azuma who uses his **Bleve**, engulfing Pantherlily in flames. However, the attack is ineffective and Pantherlily punches Azuma in the face. As Azuma flies through the air, small sparks around Pantherlily causes a huge explosion that blows Wendy, Happy, Carla and Mest away. Pantherlily realizes the difficulty of the situation and wishes to have his sword. Suddenly, Wendy uses her **Arms X Vernier** spell on Pantherlily, enhancing his speed and offensive power. Azuma tries to attack Pantherlily but Pantherlily uses his **Aera** to dodge the attacks. As Pantherlily and Azuma battle, Wendy asks Mest to lend her his strength, wanting to protect her guild.

Mest reminds her that he came there to destroy her guild but Wendy ignores this fact, saying that they will never be destroyed. As Pantherlily dodges another one of Azuma's attacks, Carla tells him to fly to the sky which he did. Azuma tells him that wherever he may go his explosions will reach him. Mest then uses his magic to teleport himself and Wendy behind Azuma. As Wendy prepares to attack with a point-blank **Sky Dragon's Roar**, Azuma comments that they're pathetic and uses his **Tower Burst** attack, causing an enormous explosion and defeating the group.

After Azuma leaves, the group sees a humanoid goat wearing a jet pack releasing bubbles all over the island. These bubbles contain members of Grimoire Heart who surround the group.

(Scene Change - Makarov's Location)

After finding Gajeel Redfox after his narrow triumph over Kawazu and Yomazu, Erza Scarlet sends the signal flare and yells for everyone to move into battle formation. Makarov, sitting by Mavis Vermilion's grave, sees this and gets shocked.

Makarov tells Mavis that he takes full responsibility for allowing enemies to trample on to their holy land and asks for her blessings to keep the young ones safe. Later, he stands in the way of Grimoire Heart's airship in an enormous version of himself through his Titan magic. Six of the Seven Kin of Purgatory are aboard the airship and all of them are taken aback by Makarov's power. Hades acknowledges Makarov as Makarov tells them to disappear.

Makarov hits the right side of their airship, but when he attempts to throw another blow, the ship increases its speed to dodge. They fire the magical Convergent Cannon - Jupiter at Makarov and he blocks it using his arms. Ultear Milkovich restores the airship's form using **Arc of Time**, as Caprico takes the rest of the Seven Kin with him and flies out using his jet pack, by the order of Hades. Makarov prepares to cast **Fairy Law** and gives the Dark Guild until the count of three.

As Makarov is about to activate **Fairy Law**, Hades appears on top of the airship and tells him to not try it as he prepares to cast his own spell, **Grimoire Law**. Hades informs him that that skill is a counter-spell and that it shouldn't be released so easily. Makarov looks at him in utter shock as he realizes that Hades is, in fact, Purehito, the second Master of Fairy Tail who passed on the title of Master to him.

Hades uses his magic to create chains that are powerful enough to toss Makarov down into the ground. Makarov reverts to his original form as he falls. He regains his balance as Hades appears in front of him. Makarov asks why he's in a Dark Guild, to which Hades replies that there are things in the world that cannot be directly expressed as good or evil. When Makarov admits that he doesn't want to fight with him and that he should just leave, Hades tells him that it slightly pains his heart to have to crush Fairy Tail with his own hands.

Makarov yells that he won't let him touch the guild. He then sends beams of light towards Hades, but Hades' dark shield absorbs it and sends it back at Makarov. In an instant, Hades is able to cast **Amaterasu: Formula 28** that surrounds Makarov in a spherical shockwave. Makarov negates this with a defensive seal of his own, however, Hades captures him with his chains and tosses him around the landscape, and later smashing him against the ground. Makarov is soon surrounded by Amaterasu seals once more, and so he casts **Three Pillar Gods**.

Unfortunately for Makarov, Hades' **Amaterasu: Formula 100** renders the seal ineffective and its magic energy is felt throughout the island. Despite the explosion caused by this, Makarov stays alive. Hades looks impressed and states that that's what's to be expected of Makarov, the man whom he entrusted the guild to for forty-eight years. Makarov approaches him, telling him that he had been an amazing Master who taught them peace and led them to the proper paths and further asks him what happened to him.

Hades only looks at him and then hits him down with his fist. He explains to Makarov about going back to the roots of magic and seeing the "Quintessence of magic". As he walks away, he tells Makarov to sleep as Fairy Tail's history will come to an end. However, Makarov opens his eyes and attempts to go after Hades, but Hades senses his approach and shoots him with his **Piercing Bullet**, though Makarov narrowly avoids a crippling wound, the bullet piercing his shoulder as Hades left.

"It... Isn't over... Please... Reach... The one who will inherit my will..." Makarov said as he shakily raised his hand out before it dropped, along with himself as he lost consciousness.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location)

"Hmm? What is... This feeling?" A hooded figure asked himself, turning slightly to reveal a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt and a head of blonde hair.

(Scene Change - Erza and Juvia's Location)

Erza requips into her **Heart Kreuz Armor** and decides to look for Wendy and Mest because they might not know where their camp is while Levy takes the injured Gajeel back to camp. Before setting out, she pries Grimoire Heart's motives out of Yomazu whom she beat up. After receiving the information about Zeref, Erza asks if they're really going to cause chaos on the island that has the blessings of the Fairies. Yomazu only replies that they shouldn't underestimate the Seven Kin of Purgatory. He enumerates all the members to them and they become surprised when they discover that one of the Seven Kin is already on the island.

They are later confronted by Dark mages from Grimoire Heart that fell out of the sky due to Caprico's magic. After defeating them, they run into Meredy, who states that elimination is her first directive when encountering an enemy. Juvia is surprised at her childlike appearance and Erza warns her to not underestimate Meredy because her magic gives her a strange feeling.

Meredy explains Grimoire Heart's plan to Juvia and Erza at the same time as Rustyrose explains it to Elfman and Evergreen in their battle as well as Caprico in his battle against Gray, Loke, Lucy and Cana.

Meredy casts **Maguilty Sodom** and various swords appear all around her. She sends them toward the two. Erza dodges it but Juvia becomes shocked as the blades damage her **Water Body**. Erza asks what kind of magic Meredy is using and Meredy simply replies that her mission is to eliminate the enemy.

Juvia is shot down by Meredy and Meredy tells her that she's the "13th". Erza requips into her **Heaven's Wheel Armor**, tells Juvia to step down and charges towards Meredy. As she does, Meredy tells her that she's the "4th". Erza asks what she's ranking and Meredy replies that it's the order she has decided to kill them in. Meredy sends her blades towards Erza and she blocks them as she calls Meredy's ranking ridiculous. However, Meredy's special blades suddenly head towards Juvia and make a direct hit. When asked by Erza why she's targeting Juvia, Meredy explains that the 13th is just trash and should be taken care of quickly.

As she moves on to an exchange of blades with Erza, she states that Gildarts Clive is third, Makarov is second and the first is Gray, who Meredy claims to be the one who killed Ultear's mother, Ur, and subsequently hurt Ultear. Meredy, in her anger, surrounds Erza with her blades. However, as the blades prepare to assault Erza, they are knocked away by a large wave of water. Juvia stands up with a dark look on her face with her head slightly tilted, asking Meredy whose life she said she was going to take. Juvia's appearance makes Erza stammer for her to calm down.

Juvia asks how could she calm down when Meredy is after Gray's life for her irrational needs. She exclaims that she will never forgive Meredy and attacks her by sending a large amount of water, knocking her away. She quickly follows up with **Water Nebula**. Erza watches in shock and realizes that she's a completely different person from the one she battled earlier. She gets her strength from her strong feelings towards the ones she loves. That is Juvia's true power. After knocking down Meredy with a water punch, Juvia asks Erza to leave Meredy to her and that she has to go find Wendy and Gray. Erza requips into her previous bikini and prepares to leave. Meredy attempts to chase after her but Juvia smashes Meredy between two waves, stating that this was now a battle between the two of them.

(Scene Change - Lisanna and Mirajane's Location)

After Grimoire Heart lands on Tenroujima, Mirajane and Lisanna are confronted by some lower members of the Dark Guild, Grimoire Heart. The two sisters fight them off without much effort. After they defeated the lower members, Azuma then confronts the pair, and Mirajane tells Lisanna to get back, Lisanna however, states that she will fight as well.

Azuma begins using his Great Tree Arc magic to attack Mirajane and Lisanna. Lisanna is amazed at Azuma's incredible magic power, but says that she isn't going to hold back and uses **Animal Soul: Harpy** and tries to attack Azuma with the claws. Azuma grabs it effortlessly and Lisanna transforms into a giant penguin to try to smash Azuma, but he evades it. Mirajane is surprised that her sister can chain Take Over's instantly and asks herself since when has she been able to do such a high level technique. Lisanna transforms by using **Animal Soul: Rabbit** and Azuma uses **Bleve**. From the smoke, Lisanna as a giant bird takes flight, and in the sky, she transforms into a feline. She falls to the ground and tries attacking Azuma with continuous scratches, which he evades and then attacks her with an explosion.

Azuma says tells Lisanna that she can fight better he thought she would, so he was going to show them how far apart his level of magic power is from theirs. Azuma creates some explosions which blow Mirajane and Lisanna away. Azuma then starts talking about how spirit and faith don't make a worthy opponent, but he is cut off by Mirajane who attacks him swiftly and quietly from behind. Mirajane tells Lisanna to go search for everyone else and that she would keep him busy. Azuma wonders how the woman who he barely felt any magic power from, suddenly released an incredible amount of power. Lisanna tells her sister that they would fight together and Mirajane tells Azuma that he will pay for underestimating the power of Fairy Tail, their family.

Azuma blasts the ground under them and Lisanna recommends that Mirajane use Satan Soul to defeat Azuma, but Mirajane doesn't respond to her and thinks to herself that **Satan Soul** isn't a spell she can use in consecutive enterprises. Azuma then realizes he is fighting the Demon Mirajane, and requests a serious match against her in her Demon form.

Mirajane ignores Azuma's request and tells Lisanna to run away, because she can tell Azuma is very strong. Since Mirajane doesn't respond, he traps Lisanna in a ticking time bomb. As Mirajane rushes over to Lisanna and attempts to free her from the bomb, Azuma tells her that the bomb will not go off unless she defeats him in three minutes. She calls him a coward, but he says he will do anything to face the demon. Without a choice, she uses **Satan's Soul**, even though she knows she won't be able to retain it for long.

Mirajane then charges at Azuma and kicks him in the stomach. Azuma says that the feeling of being in battle is the best, and he blasts Mirajane with his **Explosive magic**. Mirajane then glances over at the time bomb when Lisanna urges her to keep fighting and not pay attention to the time. Azuma then uses his spell, **Chain Burst** on Mirajane, and it binds her legs and arms. Mirajane struggles to escape the chains, and Azuma activates it which causes multiple explosions to run up the length of the chain towards her.

Mirajane then grows wings and escapes the attack before it makes it to her. Mirajane then flies towards Azuma and the two start fighting using Hand-to-Hand combat. Mirajane yells at Azuma to release Lisanna, but Azuma just comments on how he loves the thrill of fighting someone as strong as her. Mirajane then glances back over at the clock, which is now at 62 seconds.

Azuma, angered at her lack of attention, flings her up in the air and uses **Burst Claw**. Lisanna screams Mirajane's name out of worry for her, and Mirajane shoots a powerful blast at Azuma. Azuma defends himself and tells Mirajane that they should enjoy the fight some more. Mirajane then glances over at a worried Lisanna and notices the clock is down to 24 seconds. She realizes she doesn't have enough time to defeat him, and she flies over to Lisanna and deactivates **Satan Soul**.

Mirajane then apologizes to Lisanna, telling her she is unable to defeat Azuma due to the lack of time left, but she believes there is someone in the guild who can. She then tells her she's going to forfeit, but not to worry, because Lisanna was the one person she would not let die. The bomb goes off with her hugging Lisanna. After the explosion, Mirajane's heavily damaged body covers Lisanna, saving her from the blast. Her sister calls her name, but she gives no response. Azuma, disappointed, walks away.

(Scene Change - Elfman and Evergreen's Location)

While heading back to the campsite to check on the emergency, Elfman and Evergreen meet with a member of the Seven Kin Of Purgatory, Rustyrose.

Rustyrose summons his **Guardian Saint Beast: Belcusas the Thunderclap** to battle the Fairy Tail mages. Evergreen attacks it with her **Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun** but the attack is ineffective and Belcusas tries to attack Evergreen. Elfman is able to stop the attack with his **Beast Soul**. He then orders Evergreen to petrify their opponents but Evergreen tells him that it is not possible since Rustyrose is wearing sunglasses. Evergreen tells Elfman to stop Belcusas and heads to attack Rustyrose, thinking that he is physically weak due to the summoning nature of his magic. However, Rustyrose is able to defend himself and attacks Evergreen with his **Jet Black Sword.** Elfman turns to save his partner but ends up being attacked by Belcusas.

Elfman and Evergreen, both lying on the ground, begin to wonder what kind of magic Rustyrose is using. Rustyrose tells the two that it is pointless to explain himself to trash but tells them that his magic has powerful side effects. He then reveals that when they acquire Zeref, the side effects will disappear and a new age of magic will begin. Elfman and Evergreen recognize Zeref from the image that Rustyrose is displaying with his magic. Rustyrose then reveals that with Zeref, Grimoire Heart will create the Great World of magic, where all those who do not use magic will die.

After hearing the Dark Guild's plan, Elfman and Evergreen begin to argue with Rustyrose, both sides explaining their beliefs. Rustyrose tells the two that they will cower in fear when they see Zeref's true power but Elfman disagrees and charges at Rustyrose, saying that Fairy Tail will never yield and that they are a giant candle that will shine through any kind of darkness. Rustyrose ignores his statement and attacks him with his **Jet Black Sword**, saying that trash like Fairy Tail are not necessary for the Great World of magic. Rustyrose tries to attack again but Elfman grabs his arm and uses his magic to take over it. With Rustyrose's own attack, Elfman goes to attack but Rustyrose defends himself with his **Golden Shield**.

However, Elfman reveals this to be a diversion and removes and destroys Rustyrose's sunglasses. Elfman then orders Evergreen to turn Rustyrose into stone and Evergreen immediately follows and uses her **Stone Eyes**. However, Rustyrose seems to be unaffected and he immediately sends his opponents sending several feet away. While Evergreen and Elfman express their surprise to the turn of events, Rustyrose reveals that his magic, the **Arc of Embodiment**, enables him to materialize anything from his imaginations. With his magic revealed, Rustyrose attacks and defeats the two Fairy Tail mages with his **Tower of Dingir**. As she falls to the ground, Evergreen apologizes to Elfman, saying that he could have become an S-Class Mage and defeated Rustyrose if she was not his partner. Elfman disagrees, saying that with he was able to make it far since she is his partner. The two then thank each other for being there.

Once Rustyrose left, Elfman manages to walk, despite his serious injuries, and carries Evergreen back to the guild's campsite. Elfman tells the group that their opponents are too strong and that he is pathetic for not being able to protect his sisters and his partner. Hearing Elfman's words, Levy stands up and announces that Fairy Tail, who has been divided by the trial, should unite, fight and win.

(Scene Change - Mest's Location)

At the destroyed battleship of the magic Council, Mest arrives before Lahar and reveals everything that had happened on the island. Lahar can't believe it, and fears that the Chairman, Gran Doma, may fire Etherion to rid the world of Fairy Tail, Grimoire Heart, and Zeref. Mest is ordered to contact HQ, but has second thoughts about it.

(Scene Change - Gray, Loke, Cana and Lucy's Location)

As they make their way to the campsite, they suddenly notice multiple bubbles falling towards them. The bubbles contain Grimoire Heart Guild members who immediately attack the group with their weapons but most are easily defeated. As the group continues to battle the remaining members, the enemies suddenly disappear and Caprico arrives, telling the group that he will be their opponent.

Gray, Loke, Lucy and Cana are unable to use their magic due to Caprico's fast and powerful physical attacks. Caprico later reveals that they will create the Great World of magic where all those who does not use magic will die. After hearing the Dark Guild's plan, the group begins to criticize them. Caprico sympathizes for a moment but decides to continue with the plan. Gray prepares himself to use his magic and Caprico readies himself to attack as well. However, Loke stops Gray and tells him to go look for the other members of the Seven Kin of Purgatory and leave him to fight Caprico alone.

Gray reminds him that they cannot even defeat him when four of them are battling at the same time but Loke reveals that Caprico is using a lost magic called **Human Subordination** that temporarily weakens the physical and magic powers of humans, not Celestial Spirits. Loke then reveals that Caprico himself is a Celestial Spirit, Capricorn the Goat. Lucy tries to tell Loke that she will help him but Loke quiets her and challenges Caprico to a one-on-one Spirit battle. Gray and Cana decide to follow Loke's request and pull Lucy with them. Lucy tries to resist but Loke shouts at her to go and Lucy follows. Before leaving, Lucy faces Loke and tells him that he'd better come back to her no matter what.

(Scene Change - Makarov's Location)

Managing to sit upright, Makarov winced as he felt his wound act up, placing his hand over and drawing it back, relieved to see no blood. As he tried to recover a bit of strength, he tensed as a myriad of footsteps made it to his ears. Turning, he sighed in relief as he saw the forms of Wendy and the three Exceed behind her. When they saw him they all released a gasp at his wounded form as they moved to help him, Wendy getting her magic ready.

"Master! Are you ok?" She asked as tears laced her eyes, Makarov nodding slightly as he turned to face the direction Hades left.

"I'm fine. I can only hope that the others are as fine as you four are." He said as Wendy finished mending the damaged tissue of his shoulder.

But hearing cackling, they snapped their heads to see a golden haired young man as he walked out of the brush. Seeing the group of Fairies, Zancrow gained a twisted smile as he launched a large wave of black flames at them, the group's eyes widening as they scattered. His eyes dropping, Makarov could only remember Natsu as he moved to engage Zancrow, the younger man simply smiling in a twisted sense at Makarov.

Dodging the rain of beams of light sent his way, Zancrow cursed him his breath as managed to get his shoulder hit by the potent magic as he landed near Wendy, the young mage's eyes widening as he turned to her with a predatory smirk on his face. Taking a deep breath as the eyes of everyone in the area widened, Zancrow took a step forward and released his **Flame God's Bellow** as it incinerated everything in its path as he cackled madly. But his laughter was cut short when Pantherlily appeared in front of him and sent him flying backwards with a brutal blow to the face.

Zancrow wincing, his eyes widened when he saw Wendy flying above him with Carla using her **Aera** to keep her afloat. Taking a deep breath, she sent a **Sky Dragon's Roar** surging towards him as he brought his arms up to brace himself from the impact as an explosion rang out. As the dust began to settle it was blown away when Zancrow had his arms cloaked in his black flames. Pulling his arms back, he was about to catch Wendy and Carla in his **Flame God's Supper** but was knocked off course when Happy hit him dead center with his **Max Speed Attack**, the flames missing the two airborne mages by a hairs breadth as Makarov moved to finish the battle.

Feeling a sudden and large surge of magical energy, Zancrow panicked and turned to face its source and paled when he saw the small form of Makarov glowing and shaking the very space around him as he took a shaky step back. Makarov holding his hands together, he quickly gathered a large amount of magic before firing a beam of light magic at Zancrow, the younger mage's eyes widening as he was blown away by the attack, unable to even let out a laugh of defeat as pain ripped through his entire being. As the beam ripped through the trees as easily as paper, Zancrow's form disappeared as a brilliant flash of white enveloped the area.

Releasing a sigh as he dropped back to the ground, Makarov checked over the four with, hearing no reports of pain as Wendy quickly took care of the injuries they obtained. After they were finished, Makarov ordered the four to spread out and support those who needed it, stating that he himself would be engaging Hades.

(Scene Change - Ultear's Location)

Ultear was walking in the forest of Tenroujima, saying that the path of Zeref was too much for her, but today her dream will finally come true and once she has Zeref on her hands, she will be saved. As she was talking, someone comes out of the bushes and asks her if she was looking for him. Ultear is surprised to see him and he tells Ultear that they are the "apple of discord", and that it's sad how they've managed to anger him, Zeref.

When Ultear sees who it is, tears come out of her eyes and thinks to herself that after searching for him for so long, Zeref is finally right before her eyes. Zeref asks her if what she wants is his power, Ultear kneels before him and responds that what she wants is his entire existence and calls him Lord. Zeref says that he has no intention of doing anything in this period, he doesn't want to see wars or people dying and tells Ultear to stop attacking the island and leave at once. He repeats that he is angry, emitting a dark aura and causing Ultear to start shaking in fear.

Zeref creates a black orb in his hand and throws it at Ultear, who barely dodges it. However, the orb touches a tree and destroys it as it goes through. Zeref throws another black orb, but Ultear uses **Arc of Time** to break a rock behind her and use the fragments as a shield. However, the impact of the dark orb is so great that it makes Ultear fall to the ground in pain. Zeref creates another black orb in his hand and Ultear says that she'll manipulate the time of the objects around Zeref. She changes the time of some seeds in the ground around Zeref and turns them into trees covering him. However, Zeref loses control and creates a black wave that kills everything.

As the death wave is about to reach Ultear, she puts her orb in front of her and it starts absorbing the magical Spell. After absorbing everything, the orb turns black and it breaks, but Ultear changes it's time and returns it to the way it was. Zeref is surprised and asks her what she is, but Ultear ignores the question and throws her orb into the air and attacks with **Luminous Minutes**. Zeref is hit and falls to the ground.

Ultear is standing over Zeref, who is on the ground, gasping for air. She tells him that he may be a legendary Mage, but in his sleeping state he is nothing. She screams to him not to underestimate the eldest of the Seven Kin of Purgatory. Zeref tries to move, but fails and Ultear says that it is since they have the key that will wake him up. Zeref tells her to stop, she ignores him and screams to the whole island that she finally has Zeref.

(Scene Change - Loke's Location)

Loke calls on **Regulus** to give him power, rushes at Caprico and attacks him with **Regulus Punch**. Caprico is send flying through a wall, but lands on his feet, uninjured. He attacks Loke's stomach with his knee and Loke asks him how it has been since he had left the Celestial Spirit World and Caprico responds that it has been 17 years. Loke says that it is surprising for him to be in the human world for so long, and asks him who is his master. Loke tries to kick Caprico but he dodges it with his acrobatic skills and then says that he has no master and that he himself is a master who uses humans.

Caprico makes a magic Seal with two of his fingers and summons the **Hero of Rubengard: San Jiao Shin**, who attacks Loke in the chest with his spear. Loke asks what was that and Caprico explains who San Jiao Shin is and how he made him his subordinate. Loke is surprised that Caprico can kidnap and then summon the humans he kidnaps and Caprico says that it is time for him to asks about Loke's master. Loke asks why and Caprico responds that it is so he can make her his subordinate. He also says that he already has a hunch but there is something about the girl that he let get away.

Caprico rethinks and says that what Loke said about wanting to have a spirit battle was just an excuse to let his master get away and then says that being a spirit is an unpleasant duty. He remembers what Lucy said to Loke about having him comeback to her no matter what, and starts getting anxious. He starts remembering his past about someone else also telling him the same thing she told Loke. Caprico notices that Loke's master is Layla Heartfilia's daughter and with an enraged face says that he cannot let that woman live.

Caprico summons **Hunter of Belperaso: Samagui **and orders him to go and kill Layla's daughter. Loke stops him by punching him in the back of the head, making him fall to the ground. Caprico summons his Knights to attack Loke, but they are wiped out with Lion Brilliance. Loke says that according to Crux, Layla made a pact with Caprico 20 years ago and he doesn't know what kind of pact they made, but that means that his current master should be Lucy, even though she doesn't know that herself.

Loke asks Caprico what happened and he responds "Taboo". Loke is confused and Caprico explains that every magic has its own set of rules that should never be broken. Caprico says that he broke one of those taboos and because of that he is now stuck in a goat's body. Loke asks him what is he talking about, but Caprico just responds that he has started to miss his human form lately.

Caprico uses **Human Raise** and Loke reminds him that he is a spirit and that magic won't work on him. Caprico continues and explains that that is taboo, he can't use that magic on any other than humans, and whoever does do that will fuse with their target. A dark spirit comes out of Caprico's body and Loke asks if he is actually a human fused with Capricorn's body, the dark spirit responds yes and that now he is going to take his body. Loke punches Capricorn with **Regulus**, but the shadow says that he is too late and gets into Loke's body.

With the dark spirit inside Loke, he says that now he finally has a human body and says that he doubts Capricorn will be getting up. He says that he is now Leo, his master is Lucy, and by killing her, he will become a complete human. Loke starts talking about how he is going to kill her, when a **Regulus** beam goes through his chest. Capricorn appears behind him and says that **Regulus** is fully charged and calls him Zoldeo-sama.

Zoldeo comes out of Loke's body, flying into the air, screaming in pain. Capricorn apologizes to Loke for using such a vulgar method, but Loke says that it is fine since it was the only way to separate the two of them. Zoldeo falls to the ground and asks Capricorn how can he move. Capricorn explains that just before he fused with Loke, Loke transferred his magic to him with a punch. Zoldeo calls the two of them bastards, but it doesn't matter since he still has his original form. However, Zoldeo starts vanishing until he completely disappears.

Capricorn explains what happened 20 years ago, how he and Zoldeo made a pact with Layla. Loke asks Capricorn how did Lucy look to him and he responds that he can tell that she loves and is loved by her spirits. Loke asks him if he would lend his power to Lucy, but he responds no, he cannot give her his power, since his power already belongs to her. Caprico adds that now, he can finally return to his original master. Loke comes back to Lucy, who gives the news to Gray and Cana. Lucy says that Capricorn will join them too and that they will tell her the details later.

(Scene Change - Lucy and Cana's Location)

Cana starts to inquire about the grave of Mavis Vermilion, and Lucy reveals where the grave is most likely to be. But just as she was about to finish, Cana puts Lucy to sleep, apologizes and leaves. Suddenly, Kain Hikaru shows up in front of Lucy and attempts to stomp her. Lucy, however, wakes up in the nick of time to dodge the attack. The two begin to battle, though its beginning is comical due to Kain's foolish action of letting Lucy hold Mr. Cursey, the source of his **Ushi no Koku Mairi** magic.

As soon as he finds her, Kain raises his leg and is about to stomp on Lucy, but she wakes up and dodges it at the last second. Lucy asks him who he is and asks him where is Cana. He responds that he doesn't know but it doesn't matter since she is going to die anyway. Lucy asks herself why was she sleeping and what happened to Cana. She looks at Kain and says to herself that it doesn't matter and that she has to do something about this guy. Kain hides behind a tree and tells Lucy that glaring at him won't get her anywhere since he is one of the Seven Kin of Purgatory and he is really strong. Lucy says that the strength of her opponent doesn't matter, if anyone dares to oppose her guild, she will take them on as her opponent and tells him to bring it on.

Kain says he accepts and says that he will show her the powers of his **Ushi no Koku Mairi** and takes out a voodoo doll. He tells Lucy to give him some of her hair since he needs it for him magic to work. Kain explains that if he puts some of her hair inside Mr. Cursey, then he will be able to control her movements.

Lucy tells him that hearing that doesn't make her want to give him her hair and she tells him that she thinks that he is just bluffing. Kain tells her that he will give her a demonstration, puts his hair into the doll and gives the doll to Lucy. Lucy hits the doll's head into the ground, which makes Kain's head to hit the ground too. Lucy laughs and starts playing around with the doll. Kain takes it from her and says that now he is angry and she is about to find out how cruel and merciless he can be.

Kain sprints at Lucy with a headbutt, Lucy runs away but the trees that Kain hit were destroyed. Lucy says that it isn't time for her to be playing around either and summons Taurus. Kain attacks Taurus with **Dodoskoi** and defeats him. Lucy is surprised and runs away while saying that Kain is stronger when he is not using his magic and summons Sagittarius.

She tells Sagittarius to aim for the legs, he shoots his arrows towards there, but Kain uses **Dadasu Turn** to send them all back at him. Sagittarius disappears, Lucy is falling, and Kain prepares to use **Dodoskoi**. In the air, Lucy summons Scorpio, who uses **Sand Buster** to attack Kain. Kain is uninjured and uses **Dodoskoi** to send Lucy and Scorpio flying. While falling, Lucy notices that the material the doll is made out of changes from iron to light, and Kain uses **Shining Dodoskoi** to attack her.

Lucy falls to the ground, her clothes tattered. Kain tells her that despite his appearance, he is powerful, being a member of Grimoire Heart's Seven Kin of Purgatory. He then demands Lucy to bring out a tasty looking Celestial Spirit. Lucy then summons Plue who immediately begins to dance. Kain is temporarily entranced with Plue's cuteness but recovers and tries to eat him, causing Lucy to grab him and run.

Lucy then summons Cancer and orders him to give Kain an embarrassing haircut. Cancer follows Lucy's order but fails when Kain's hard hair breaks his scissors. Kain then attacks him with **Dodoskoi**, sending him back to the Celestial Spirit World. With Cancer defeated, Lucy summons Aries. Kain approaches Aries and prepares to attack. Aries uses her charms to entrance Kain and attack him with a **Wool Bomb**. Kain, however, is uninjured and sends Aries and Lucy flying with **Dodoskoi**. Mr. Cursey then changes into cotton and Kain jumps into the air and says that this will be the finisher. In the air, the doll's material changes to iron, and Kain too, turns into iron and tries to fall on top of Lucy, finishing her.

But before he could crush her, she was swept off her feet and into the air when Pantherlily and Happy arrived. Stunned by their sudden intrusion and entrance, Lucy quickly divulged all she knew about Kain's magic as the two nodded, digesting the information presented to them as they moved to engage him. Pantherlily, a little perplexed by Kain eccentric behavior, was quickly put on the defensive as Kain delivered a volley of heavy blows against him. As things began to look dire, Happy suddenly swooped down and managed to secure Mr. Cursey as Kain panicked.

Quickly tossing it to Lucy, she turned the doll upside and drove it downwards as Kain hit the earth in a jarring impact. Then, pulling a hair off of Pantherlily, she attached it to Mr. Cursey and commanded his body as he unleashed a brutal series of blows against Kain before finishing off the assault with a devastating headbutt as Lucy changed the doll to iron, Pantherlily changing as well as the sound of something breaking and cracking echoed through the area as Kain crumpled into a heap.

The battle finished, Lucy handed the doll to Pantherlily who removed his hair and threw it off the cliff face and into the ocean below. Afterwards, Lucy states that she has to look for Cana Alberona too. As they discuss Grimoire Heart, Lucy suggests that they might have a ship somewhere and that Zeref might be there. She requests the two Exceeds to look, but reply that they are out of magic, so they decide to go look for Wendy and Carla.

Cana, meanwhile, is in Route E from the first testing grounds and is on the way to the grave of Mavis Vermilion.

The group of Lucy, Happy and Pantherlily decides to travel back to Wendy's location and regroup with the other mages before looking for Grimoire Heart's base. Meanwhile, Cana reaches the grave and notices it shining.

Elsewhere, Gray hears the rustle of leaves and finds a woman resembling Ur carrying Zeref, leading him to silently pursue her. At the Grimoire Heart Airship, Hades is eating, while an unknown figure known as Bluenote was asking when he could join the battle. Hades orders him to stay, but Bluenote says that if one more of the Seven Kin of Purgatory falls, he would join the battle.

At the remains of the magic Council battleship, Lahar and Doranbolt were discussing Bluenote. Just as Lahar is about to contact the Headquarters, Doranbolt takes the Communication Lacrima and teleports to Wendy's location. He offers to evacuate all the Fairy Tail mages. Everyone present, however, refuses.

(Scene Change - Juvia's Location)

Meredy takes out her swords and says that she won't let "#4" leave, but she is stopped by Juvia smashing her between two waves. Meredy uses **Maguilty=Rays** to free herself and attack Juvia, but Juvia uses **Water Slicer** to protect herself. Meredy tells Juvia that it's mysterious how over one person, Gray, one can love him and the other one can hate him, that over the same individual there can be different ways to see them and feel about them.

Juvia responds that that is what it means to be human. Meredy says that she was lucky to have killing Gray as her objective and meeting someone who loves him so much. Meredy raises her hand and tells Juvia that her feelings about Gray will be "I will kill Gray". Meredy extends her hand towards Juvia and tells her she will show her the touch of heaven and boundless despair.

Meredy uses **Sensory Link** on Juvia, a ray appears from Juvia's wrist and goes into the forest until it reaches Gray's wrist and a tattooed bracelet appears in her and Gray's wrist. Juvia asks Meredy what she did, and she responds that she linked Juvia and Gray's senses as one. Juvia gets excited and says that it's like heaven and now she could die happily. Meredy says that this magic will also share the pain and attacks Juvia in her arm with Maguilty Sodom, making Gray also get hurt.

Meredy tells Juvia that all the damage she takes will be felt by Gray, Juvia asks her how dare she try to hurt "Gray-sama", and attacks Meredy by rushing at her cloaked in water. Meredy is blown away, but uses her **Three Spread Sensory Link** and Juvia uses a whirlpool to attack Meredy once more. However, Juvia and Gray also get hurt, and Meredy explains that she has attached herself to the connection and as of now the three of them are connected, so it doesn't matter which one of them dies, because Gray will die too. This the dead end of despair and end to Gray's life.

Juvia is devastated and tells Meredy that this way, she will die too. Meredy responds that that is correct, for the three of them there is only death. Meredy states that now that she and Gray are connected, there is no need to fight anymore, she puts two swords at her neck, and says that she can just kill herself. Juvia tells her to stop it, Meredy ignores her and says that she does not fear death.

Juvia attacks her own leg making Meredy fall to the ground, stopping her execution. Meredy explains that even though **Maguilty Sense** shares the feeling of pain, it doesn't share the physical wound, so if Juvia wants to stop her, she is going to have to kill her, but if she dies, the three of them will die together. Meredy repeats that that the only thing left for the three of them is to die, but Juvia says that there is another option, the three of them can live, even though they may defeat their enemies, Fairy Tail mages would never take their lives.

Meredy says how incredibly childish that is, creates a sword on top of her, and says that she is going to kill Gray for the sake of Ultear. Juvia runs towards Meredy and says that she won't let her, before that happens she will render her incapable of fighting. The sword starts coming down on Meredy, and she has a flashback of when she was found by Ultear and how much she loves her, but when she comes back to, she finds a crying Juvia hugging her. Juvia tells Meredy that even she smiles, even she has someone important to her.

Meredy wonders in it overpasses sense and it is also sharing emotion. Juvia tells Meredy to live, she lives for the ones she loves and she has to too. If she has love in her life she must keep on living. The words love and live resound through Meredy's head until tears start rolling down her cheeks. Juvia and Meredy fall to their knees and the three of them get freed from the **Three Spread Sensory Link**. Meredy falls to the water while saying that she can't fight with her, and Juvia falls while saying that she won't try to run away or hide.

In Gray's area, he notices that the mark and the pain from the link have disappeared. However, Ultear sneaks up behind him, introduces herself as Ur's daughter, and tells him that she is an ally

(Scene Change - Fairy Tail Mage's Location)

Carla returns to report to the group of Lucy, Happy, Wendy and Pantherlily about the status of the Fairy Tail members at the camp and the location of the enemy's boat. They decide to head out and regroup in order to take down Grimoire Heart while they ask Doranbolt to stall the council for time, despite his protests. Meanwhile, Ultear continues to comfort and convince Gray, but he refuses to buy any of it, and remains furious that Ultear is planning to use Zeref. However, Ultear reveals that it was all the will of Ur.

Meanwhile, Erza encounters Azuma as she looks for Wendy while Levy, Lisanna and Pantherlily are faced with the threat of Rustyrose at the main camp. On the Grimoire Heart ship, Hades realizes that Bluenote has already left for battle after Meredy's defeat, causing him to apologize to Makarov, stating that he had never intended to use him again

As the group travels to the main camp, they feel an ominous magic power and meet the Grimoire Heart deputy himself, Bluenote Stinger. His magic is felt by all throughout the island as he makes the ground between the group's feet sink. He declares that he doesn't care about Fairy Tail or Zeref and all he wants is the location of the First Master's grave in order to obtain the magic sealed within it. At the same time, Cana arrives at Mavis' grave and finds that it is shining brightly.

Cana tries to touch the glowing grave, but it hurts her upon contact. This instigates Runes to materialize, stating that one of the three great magics rest within the grave, **Fairy Glitter**. Cana desperately asks whether she won the S-Class Mage Promotion Trial Test, commenting that the last 12 years were for this moment. She reveals the history of how she met her father, Gildarts, who didn't know her. After realizing how strong he was, she resolved to take the S-Class Trial, citing that if she passed, she would feel worthy enough to tell him. Her first attempts were failures and if she failed once more, she would quit.

However, she remembers Lucy's declaration to help her pass the test. Her **Help Lucy Card** glows. Realizing she had been a fool, Cana cries out that she never meant to betray her friends and begs for Mavis to lend her power. It's then that she is allowed to touch the grave, and a voice, Mavis Vermilion's, tells her that mistakes are something that better the heart, and bestows **Fairy Glitter** upon her. With this new power, Cana rushes off to save her friends.

(Scene Change - Erza's Location)

Erza runs in the rain, looking for Wendy. Suddenly, a voice from a tree calls out her name, glad that he could meet the great warrior, Titania. Azuma shows himself and claims that he had taken care of the little girl. Both of them suddenly sense an incredible amount of magic, Bluenote Stinger's, and Azuma states that the war is over and no one will be left on the island.

Erza first battles in close combat with Azuma in her **Flame Empress Armor** as the battles on Tenrou Island start to heat up. Erza then wields two axes in her **Black Wing Armor **and charges towards Azuma. However, Azuma dodges this, catches one of Erza's feet in his branches and follows up with **Bleve**. Erza recovers from the explosion, requips into her **Morning Star Armor** and using her two sabers, fires **Photon Slicer**. Azuma gets hit. When the explosion clears, a smile can be seen on his face.

Erza asks him what's funny and he replies that he's been waiting for someone strong like her and that he'll have fun. He adds that he fights in pursuit of those that are strong. As she requips into her **Heart Kreuz Armor**, Erza replies that she doesn't care much about strong people, all she needs is the power to protect her comrades, and as long as she has that strength, she doesn't care if she's weaker than everyone else.

The branches of the trees move about and Azuma declares that they're out of time. He reveals the nature of his brand of Lost Magic, **Great Tree Arc**, to Erza, and how the true power of that magic is rooted in the Earth. Azuma informs her that the reason he came to the island first is to control the island's magic power by Hade's orders. Much to Erza's shock, the Tenrou Tree at center of the island collapses. The mages of Fairy Tail all over the island start dropping to the ground from magic loss, except Erza. Tenrou Tree's power gives protection to everyone bearing the crest of Fairy Tail on the island. With the great tree down, the life protection it afforded Fairy Tail has been lost and will continue draining energy from Fairy Tail. Azuma tells her that her comrades' lives are on the line and asks her if she has the necessary power to save them. Erza looks at him with a fierce face.

Azuma reveals that Erza's magic remained so that he may be able to fight her and promises that he'll return the magic of the others if she defeats him. Confidently, Erza requips into her **Heaven's Wheel Armor**, declares that with her comrades' lines on the line, she'll win and then attacks Azuma with **Blumenblatt**. Azuma's branches block Erza's blades and he retaliates with **Folium Sica**. Erza attempts to block these as Azuma follows up with **Ramus Sica **and Tree Fist. Erza reverts into her **Heart Kreuz Armor** and dodges the thick branches of trees that attempt to damage her. She then uses one of the branches to spring back as she requips into her **Flight Armor** and manages to slash Azuma multiple times with her enhanced speed.

When Erza heads back to him for another hit, he strikes her down with branches and attempts to stomp on her with a foot-shaped root which she blocks with her **Adamantine Armor**. She also consequently blocks multiple leaf blades with the same armor. Afterwards, she requips into the **Lightning Empress Armor** and her staff misses Azuma. While she chases him around, he is able to sneak a punch, sending her flying through multiple roots. The two mages acknowledge each other's skills. Erza, in her **Heart Kreuz Armor** once more, starts a hand-to-hand battle with Azuma, with both being able to land a number of punches and kicks. Azuma captures her with a branch and then it explodes. Erza recovers and throws a spear at Azuma, landing a hit, and then, while wearing her **Giant's Armor**, manages to grab his ankle and throw him down. He strikes back with a large root, smashing her on another. She requips into her **Purgatory Armor** and chases after him, but he is able to defend himself with a hard root, catching her off-guard. Azuma grabs Erza's foot from underneath and then she gets hit by **Tower Burst**.

She reverts once more into her **Heart Kreuz Armor** and wonders what she should do. For a moment, she thinks of her newly-bought **Seduction Armor** but immediately waves off the thought of using it. Erza decides that in order to defeat him, she has to collect all of her magic into a single offensive attack without wasting any on defensive power. She requips into her clothes previously used in her battle against Ikaruga in, stating that she has no need for armor and only her sword. Erza charges forward, collecting all her strength into **Demon Blade Crimson Sakura** and swearing that she cannot lose for her guild's sake. Azuma urges her forward. As her attack is about to hit, she suddenly gets wrapped up in branches. Azuma releases the magic of Tenrou upon her with the spell **Terra Clamare**. Erza collapses on the ground from the blow.

Almost-unconscious, Erza hears the distant voice of Jellal, telling her not to lose. Her eyes open, she coughs and then gets up with the help of her sword. Azuma is shocked by the sight. In order to protect her comrades, Erza rises with unbending determination. She chases after Azuma and is able to slice up all the branches he uses for defense, dodges the ones for attack and almost lands a hit on his neck. Erza charges forward then Azuma dodges and kicks her away. She springs back, slices the branch he stood on and uses that same branch to defend from his leaf blades.

As Azuma brings forward multiple branches, she speedily slashes them away, but then he is able to bind her once more with roots. Soon, the voices of both Jellal and Natsu came to her mind, speaking words of encouragement, giving her the strength to move her body though she is still unable to break free. Azuma casts **Terra Clamare** once more.

As she starts to think that it's the end, she sees Natsu face, asking her if she's giving up. She also sees the faces of her other friends in Fairy Tail following Natsu's. Erza apologizes and tells herself that she has forgotten that it's not that she's been protecting everyone, but that she had always been the one being protected. The images of her comrades surround her and push her onward to Azuma. Azuma is overcome with shock as he realizes that the magic of Tenrou Island that he must be controlling is protecting Erza. As Erza comes toward him, he comments that the strength of their guild is not in the "individual", but in the "sum". Before Erza delivers her final attack, he notes that their guild is one incredible guild. Her blade hits and slices across Azuma's body, defeating him.

(Scene Change - Lucy, Happy, Wendy, Carla and Pantherlily's Location)

Cana attacks Bluenote with her cards and tries to follow with Fairy Glitter. Bluenote is able to stop her attack and is surprised that she possesses the Magic that he covets. Cana turns her attention to Lucy and apologizes to her and reassures her that she will defeat Bluenote. Lucy smiles and realizes that Cana got the Magic from the grave. Turning her attention back to Bluenote, Cana asked if Pantherlily and Wendy could hold Bluenote off long enough for her to charge up her magic, the two hesitating for a few seconds before steeling themselves. Suddenly, Bluenote releases his **Gravity Magic**, throwing the Fairy Tail mages several feet away.

Bluenote then approaches Cana, saying that he will extract the Magic from her. Seeing Cana in trouble, Wendy uses her **Sky Dragon's Roar** on the ground which travels underground and hits Bluenote. Bluenote returns his attention to Wendy and sends her flying away. Cana sees this as an opening and uses **Fairy Glitter** on Bluenote. However, Bluenote is able to stop the attack by directing it to the ground, surprising the Fairy Tail mages. Bluenote begins to belittle Cana and she realizes that she doesn't have enough magic mower and prepares herself to die. Just as Bluenote is about to kill Cana, Gildarts arrives and pushes him away. Seeing her father's face, Cana begins to cry.

(Scene Change - Fairy Tail Main Camp)

At the Guild's campsite, Levy and Lisanna are happy to hear Carla's news about the rest of the group coming there since there are a lot of wounded people and if an enemy were to attack, they'd be defenseless. Levy is disappointed that even the master was beaten, but she says that she can't give up no matter what. As she says this, Rustyrose appears telling them that it's important to know when to give up and that now he will eat every single one of them and not leave one fairy left.

After attacking with his **Jet Black Sword**, Rustyrose is sent flying and Lisanna and Levy stared on in shock. Rustyrose falls and asks who they are. As Freed and Bickslow appear, Lisanna expresses her joy at their return and asks them why they're here. They say that they saw the signal flare and came back with Gildarts. Rustyrose says that a couple more people added to the mix is no problem and summons his **Jet Black Sword**. Bickslow says that, from the beginning, they never intended fighting fair, and now they are going to take him down, to which Freed adds on that because he has committed the crime of hurting his friends, the rules don't apply to him.

Bickslow attacks with **Baryon Formation**, but Rustyrose uses his **Golden Shield** after reciting it's incantation and uses it to defend himself against Bickslow's attack. Freed uses **Dark Écriture: Pain**, but Rusty dodges it using his **Pegasus Wings**. In the air, Rustyrose asks if they think they can defeat his infinite power of creativity, and summons The **Sacred Guardian Beast: Belfast the Hurricane** and commands it to tear them to pieces. The two girls were shocked, but Bickslow uses **Crush** and destroys it.

Rustyrose is awestruck and says that it's impossible. Freed uses **Dark Écriture: Absolute Shadow **and attacks Rustyrose. Levy and Lisanna are amazed at the power of the Thunder God Tribe. Evergreen watches from the side with a smile and Levy says that this is how they're like when they get serious. As Bickslow and Freed stand above Rustyrose, with Bickslow telling him to get up and Freed saying that there is no path to redemption for him, Rustyrose wonders to himself if the feeling in his heart is "fear".

Rustyrose gets up and thinks that this fear he's feeling isn't bad, adjusts his glasses, and says that fear just gives more inspiration for his imagination. He uses **Ghosts of Brittia** which wrap around Bickslow and Freed's bodies. Rustyrose attacks with **Jet Black Sword** and Freed and Bickslow suddenly collapse, as if by exhaustion, along with the Fairy Tail Mages all over the island when the Tenrou Tree is felled Azuma's hand.

(Scene Change - Gildarts and Fairy Tail Group)

Gildarts charges forward as he yells for the others to go. Bluenote flips the part of the ground Gildarts stood on upside-down. The Magic of Gildarts destroys this upside-down ground and their fists meet as Bluenote jumps up to Gildarts. A tremendous amount of Magic is released, destroying most of the ground nearby. It is Gildarts who overpowers Bluenote in that exchange, surprising Bluenote. Wendy Marvell tells them that it's best to follow Gildarts' orders and Cana agrees, saying that they will only be in the way.

The two powerful Mages clash as they are evenly matched in power. Their battle destroys the terrain, flipping pieces of land upside down and sending them flying everywhere. Even the punches they exchange send waves of Magic throughout the atmosphere. Before long, both of them start sweating from the heat of the battle. Although later, Gildarts suddenly collapses as if by exhaustion along with the Fairy Tail Mages all over the island when the Tenrou Tree at the center of the island falls by Azuma's hand, resulting to him being easily beaten up by Bluenote.

(Scene Change - Erza's Location)

Both Azuma and Erza fall to the ground. She notices how little sprouts seem to appear on Azuma's body. He tells her that it's the side-effect of overusing his magic and that he has returned everyone's powers to them just as he promised.

(Scene Change - Fairy Tail Main Camp)

As Erza defeated Azuma in their battle, they and the other Fairy Tail members recovered their magic power and energy. Bickslow attacks Rustyrose with his dolls and Freed slashes him with his sword.

Rustyrose calls on his **Tower of Dingir**, which takes a hold of them, Lisanna, Levy and Evergreen. Everyone panics, and Bickslow takes off his mask, but Rustyrose reminds him that his **Figure Eyes** won't work on someone wearing glasses, to which Bickslow replies that he wasn't targeting him, and that their only hope had one eye open. Elfman gets up, and Bickslow tells him that he will be taking control of him to which Elfman agrees. Bickslow commands him to go and Elfman heads towards Rustyrose and kicks him in the back of the neck, dispelling the **Tower of Dingir**. Lisanna uses **Animal Soul: Wings** to launch Freed towards Rustyrose. Freed ultimately finishes him with **Dark Écriture: Destruction**.

As the battle ended they all regrouped and tended to Elfman's newly opened wounds. As they did, they felt a large surge of magic and shivered as it could only mean one thing. That Gildarts had arrived and he wasn't happy.

(Scene Change - Gildarts' Location)

As he felt himself recover his magic and energy once more. He captures Bluenote's foot as it is about to stomp on him and fiercely asks how he's supposed to keep up his pristine image as an examiner when he got all rustled up. Bluenote starts to grow thrilled at the thought that they could finally start getting serious. He casts **Black Hole**, an infinite point of gravity that will swallow up everything. As the spell is about to make contact with Gildarts, it starts cracking, much to Bluenote's disbelief. It is Gildarts who's shattering and nullifying his super-powerful spell. With incredible power, Gildarts sends Bluenote flying with **Crushing Evil, Spreading the Truth: Empyrean**, defeating him.

Meanwhile, the group arrives in camp to see the critically injured Gajeel, Mirajane, Elfman, Evergreen and the just-defeated Rustyrose. The gathered mages that can still move listen as Carla relays to them the location of Grimoire Heart's ship and they decide to split into two groups, an attack group and a defense group.

(Scene Change - Gray's Location)

Ultear tells Gray that she would take Zeref from the island and makes a request of him to defeat Hades with **Iced Shell**. Later, Ultear meets Meredy with Zeref in tow and reveals how she was able to fool Gray into going after Hades with a made-up story about her mother. As she prepares to leave the island with a reluctant Meredy, Ultear notices and prepares to kill a passed-out Juvia. However, Gray springs out and saves Juvia from Ultear. It turns out he had not believed a word that she said. The two begin their battle, with Gray delivering the first blow.

Ultear gets up after being hit by Gray and orders Meredy to take Zeref and leave. Gray wakes Juvia and asks her to chase after Meredy. Although in pain, she quickly complies because it's "Gray's orders". While distracted by Juvia, Ultear kicks Gray in the face. She sends her orb coming his way and he retaliates with **Ice-Make: Lance**. However, Gray's attack evaporates because of Ultear's magic. He gets over the shock of this and attacks with **Ice-Make: Hammer** but the same thing happens. Ultear reveals that her Magic, **Arc of Time**, has the ability to control the time of objects. It is a magic that she learned in order to kill Creation Mages like her mother. Gray momentarily remembers a memory of Ur, crying over the dress of a little girl. He defends from Ultear's **Flash Forward **with **I****ce-Make: Cocoon** but the ice evaporates which results to him getting pummeled by the projectiles as Ultear casts Flash Forward. Disgusted by Ultear's words of hate, Gray freezes the ground towards Ultear and tells her that Ur always thought about her.

She ignores this statement and she easily overpowers him in an exchange of fists and sends him flying to a stone wall. He gets up, despite the injuries, and vows that he'll strike her down with the Creation Magic Ur taught him. Gray slices the side of his torso with sharp ice, causing him to bleed. He freezes the blood that spurts out and charges towards Ultear. She attempts to make the ice evaporate but is shocked when she couldn't, and then she realizes that it is Gray's blood and she cannot manipulate something that came from a living being. He hits her with his bloody version of **Ice Blade: Seven Slice Dance**. She is momentarily impressed by his tenacity, but she regains her balance and swears that she cannot lose. Ultear assumes the position for Creation Magic and casts **Ice-Make: Rosen Krone**, directly hitting Gray.

Ultear pants as Gray falls to the ground. When Gray comments about the similarity of Ultear's and Ur's Creation Magic and how they have the same blood, Ultear is angered and attacks him with **Ice-Make: Bloom**. Gray retaliates by tackling her, barely missing her Magic Sword and they start rolling on the ground while they argue, Gray asking her what made her like that and Ultear yelling for him to shut up because he won't understand. Their rolling takes them down a cliff and they crash into the water below.

As they fall, Ultear recalls her past. She had been a test subject in the Bureau of Magic Development as a child. Once, she managed to escape the facility and returned home to her mother. However, she had seen her mother with two other kids, Gray and Lyon Vastia, where she had been happy, causing Ultear to think Ur got rid of her and replaced her with those two kids. She returned to the facility in order to acquire the power she needed to take revenge on her mother. That was when she met Hades, learned of Zeref and joined Grimoire Heart to train under Hades to learn of a type of Lost Magic, Arc of Time. While submerged in the water, she tells herself that everything she did was to turn her cursed existence into a life of happiness. She attacks Gray with large ice pieces of flowers, but gets distracted by a voice calling out for help.

She sees a flashback of her mother carrying little Ultear in her arms, asking for someone to help her child who's running a high fever because she had been born with too much Magic Power. Ultear realizes that she is in the ocean, recalls that Ultear's ice melted at Galuna Island and combined with the ocean and thinks with disbelief that she is inside her mother. She sees her mother crying in front of the people she entrusted with Ultear and demands that they give back her Ultear, who they had told her had died. Ultear comments that that's not how she remembered it at all. She suddenly snaps back to reality and sees Gray assuming the position for Ice-Make. He attacks with **Ice-Make: Gungnir**, finally defeating her.

Gray floats to the surface of the water and tells Ultear a story that Ur once told him and Lyon: when Ultear had been born, Ur felt a light shining into her heart and she dreamed of a bright future for that little girl. Ur had been so happy then by the power of life and she couldn't stop her tears from overflowing. Ultear had been the proof that she lived, "her tear". As Ultear falls down after the ice holding her shatters, she thinks to herself that she wants to go back to the time before she hated her mother. With tears in her eyes, she admits that she just wanted to be with her mother one last time. Later, Gray brings Ultear ashore and lets her rest against a rock as he heads out to look for his comrades for the final battle against Hades.

Later, while walking, Gray is about to collapse out of exhaustion, but is then caught by Erza, who asks him if he's okay. Gray states that it seems that he always needs to be saved by somebody. Erza replies that she's the same, too. The attack group arrives, overhears the words said, and with a big grin, they tell them that they are the same too. The reunited team, along with Wendy, Carla and Pantherlily, prepares for the final battle against Hades.

The group arrives at their destination and sees Hades waiting for them. Hades tells the group to fight him when they are ready and returns to his ship. Despite knowing that their master was defeated by Hades, the group decides to fight in order to stop the war. Erza tells the Exceeds to search for the ship's power source and destroy it in order to prevent it from taking off. Gray uses his **Ice Make: Stairs** to climb the ship while the Exceeds flies off to find the power source. As the group climbs the stairs, Erza reminds the group that Hades is a powerful Mage and tells them to use their full power from the start.

(Scene Change - Fairy Tail Main Camp)

In their guild's camp, Freed and Levy are setting up their defensive runes while Lisanna is treating Elfman's wounds. Bickslow then arrives and tells the group that he sent Rustyrose floating down the river, thinking that he may have an **Organic Link Magic** that may lead the enemy towards their location. Suddenly, Bickslow is attacked from behind by **Kan**.

The attacker reveals himself to be Yomazu, accompanied by Kawazu who then attacks the group with **Heavy Egg Rain**. Levy manages to block the attack with **Solid Script: Guard**. Yomazu then uses his **Orient Solid Script Magic** to dispel the runes surrounding the camp just as Kain arrives and attacks Elfman with **Shining Dodoskoi**. Yomazu and Kowazu then charge at the camp, wanting to defeat the Fairy Tail Mages in order to be promoted as Seven Kin of Purgatory members. Bickslow uses his dolls to attack Kawazu while Freed and Levy start to rewrite the runes around the camp. Seeing Bickslow's doll, Yomazu uses **Bō** to defend himself. Yomazu and Kawazu then prepare to charge at Bickslow but are interrupted by cards from Cana. However, Freed, having finished drawing the runes, tells her to help Lisanna as he and Bickslow begin to fight the two Dark Mages.

With the girls and Kain, Lisanna uses **Animal Soul: Cat** and begins to scratch Kain. However, Kain is able to push her away and reveals that he has a reserve Mr. Cursey, which he dubs "Mr. Cursey #2". Kain then pulls out a strand of white hair and puts it on Mr. Cursey #2. He then turns its properties into that of iron and reveals that the strand of hair belongs to Elfman as he uses him to attack with **Metallic Rocket Mr. #2**. Lisanna tries to dodge her brother but is hit and falls to the ground.

As Kain grabs a weakened Lisanna, he is suddenly attacked by fire from behind. Lisanna discovers Cana to be the attacker who begins to insult Kain. Kain charges at her and Cana uses **Summoned Lightning** to stop him in his tracks. However, Kain managed to make himself lightning resistant, nullifying the attack. Cana then attacks with flaming cards but Kain jumps out of the line of fire by changing his properties into cotton. However, Cana is able to hit him with **The Prayer's Fountain**. Kain's cotton body begins to soak the water, causing him to fall to the ground. Cana then follows the attack with **Icicle** but Kain blocks her attack by changing his properties again. Watching the fight, Lisanna is at awe with Cana, realizing her power as one of the guild's S-Class candidates.

Kain is then attacked by **Solid Script: Iron** from Levy who believes that she, Lisanna and Cana will be able to defeat the Dark Mage if they combine forces. Kain then begins to charge at them but Levy causes him to fall into a pitfall by using **Solid Script: Hole**. Cana then attacks him with her cards and Lisanna sits on top of him while using **Animal Soul: Penguin**. However, the Fairy Tail Mages discover that Elfman was the one Lisanna attacked. The group then sees Kain charging towards them, his properties turned into mist, as he explains that he can change positions with Elfman whose hair is still on Mr. Cursey.

However, as Kain approaches the group, he triggers a rune and is trapped. Levy explains that she and Freed anticipated that this would happen and had set up traps that will make the victim unable to use Magic. She then uses **Solid Script: Storm** as Cana throws the Death and Fire cards. Lisanna, having gained wings with **Animal Soul: Wings**, catches the two spells and combines them together, attacking Kain with **Triple Unison Explosion**. The attacks explodes upon impact and Kain is sent flying.

Freed quickly engages with Yomazu, who attacks him with Zan, but he manages to dispel his attack with his runes. However, Yomazu uses a variation of **Gō** that manages to destroy Freed's runes by expanding them, making him open to **Zan**. The two then begin to argue on whose Magic is stronger. Meanwhile, Bickslow attacks Kawazu with **Baryon Formation**. However, Kawazu is able to block his attack with **Egg Wall** which begins to cook under the heat of Bickslow's attack.

While Freed and Bickslow are battling Yomazu and Kawazu, Levy, Lisanna and Cana try to free Elfman who was half-buried in the ground. Once Elfman is freed, the three girls debate on whether to join in the fight, noting that they're out of Magic. Elfman then wakes and seeing the cooked egg wall, Elfman charges and eats it, surprising Kawazu. Once finished, he stands up and prepares to attack as well.

Kawazu then attacks Bickslow with **Egg Buster** just as Elfman charges at him with **Beast Arm: Iron Bull**. However, before he can connect, Yomazu intervenes and shields Kawazu with **Bō** and attacks him with Zan. Elfman falls behind Freed and Bickslow who tell him to take it easy. However, Elfman refuses, wanting to make up for his inability to protect his sisters and Evergreen. Kawazu and Yomazu then charge at the three but Kawazu is pushed back by a combination of Freed's **Dark Écriture: Pain** and Bickslow's dolls. Elfman then charges at him with his **Iron Arm**. Yomazu tries to help his guildmate but is intercepted by Freed in **Dark Écriture: Absolute Shadow**. Elfman and Freed then attack Kawazu and Yomazu. Kawazu falls defeated, but Yomazu blocks with **Bō**. Yomazu then proceeds to defeat Freed with Zan, but as Freed falls, Elfman comes from behind and defeats Kawazu.

(Scene Change - Meredy's Location)

Zancrow appears before Meredy, while she runs from Juvia, revealing how it was Ultear that destroyed her hometown and declares that she's no longer a part of Grimoire Heart. Suddenly, Zeref awakens and utters the word "Acnologia". He unleashes a dark wave that kills Zancrow and leaves Meredy and Juvia in an unconscious state. He feels remorse for what he has done once again while Doranbolt, standing nearby, looks on in shock at what he heard Zeref say. He later reports back to Lahar and they evacuate.

(Scene Change - Grimoire Heart Airship)

As they arrived at the airship, the group were quickly awed and stunned silent when they saw the chaotic battle between Makarov and Hades. Unleashing a hellish torrent of spells at one another, they disregarded the lives of the mages around them as Makarov increased the size of his arm before swatting away a large group of Grimoire Heart mages, sending them careening outside of the ship. Seeing that even their master was battling lit a fire inside of the hearts of the Fairy Tail mages as they moved to help him.

Back with the Fairy Tail members battling against Hades, Erza, in her **Black Wing Armor**, attacks with her **Moon Glimpse** while Gray attacks with his **Ice-Make: Cold Excalibur**. Lucy then summons Taurus who attacks Hades while Wendy casts **Arms X Armor X Vernier** on her friends, enhancing their attack power, defensive power and speed. With the sudden entrance of his children, Makarov was about to shout at them but was cut short when they moved past them and attacked Hades head on.

"Interesting." Hades said as he moved to intercept the Fairies.

With Wendy's support, Erza and Gray continue to attack Hades, but miss. With a summoned chain, Hades snags Erza and slams her into Gray. Seeing an opening, Makarov quickly fired off a rain of light beams as Hades dodged, rolling to the side and kicking away Taurus as he stood back up, firing another set of chains at Makarov. However, a newly-requiped Erza cuts the chain, freeing him.

"Be careful Master!" Gray shouted as he moved to take on Hades, the older man narrowing his eye at him.

Cursing slightly, Hades avoided Gray as he crushed the area he stood a few seconds ago with his **Ice Make: Hammer**, Hades landing a few feet away as he was rushed down by Erza, requipping her pure offensive clothing. Wendy attacks with her **Sky Dragon's Roar** and Lucy opens summons Scorpio who attacks Hades with his **Sand Buster**. The two attacks combine into a **Unison Raid** and surrounded Erza, boosting her speed and subsequently her power as she delivered an enhanced **Demon Blade Crimson Sakura** slash, sending Hades crashing into the wall.

The Fairy Tail Mages stand up and are surprised to hear Hades' voice. The smoke then clears and the group sees Hades, standing and uninjured, simply staring at them as Makarov moved in front of his children protectively as Hades stared at him.

"The mistakes people make are eventually labeled as experience. But with a true mistake, there will be no experience to be gained. Because the mistake you made taking me as your opponent will leave you with no future." He said as they all tensed, Makarov looking on in mild shock at the lack of visible damage.

"N-No way... There's not even a scratch on him!" Gray shouted as he stared with wide eyes at the undamaged for of Hades.

"I-It had no affect on him at all."Lucy muttered as she tensed, moving her hand to her keys.

"No... Way..." Wendy whimpered as she moved to cover her mouth with her hand, unable to believe what had actually happened.

"Not only that... His magic power has changed as well." Makarov said as he tensed, narrowing his eyes at Hades.

"Well, then... Are you just about finished with your warm-ups?" He asked, the Fairy Tail mages tensing at his casual dismissal of their attacks.

"Katsu!" Hades shouted as Wendy's eyes went wide, a glow enveloping her body before she vanished, her clothes fluttering to the ground.

"Wendy!" Lucy screamed as everyone looked on with wide eyes, scanning everywhere for any sign of the bluenette.

As Makarov shouts his disbelief, the group hears a voice coming from the ceiling. Looking up and seeing Horologium, the group breathes a sigh of relief. Horologium tells that group that he is in Automatic Danger Response Mode causing Lucy to remark furiously that Horologium did not save her when she has been in plenty of dangerous situations from the island's creatures and the members of the Seven Kin Of Purgatory. Horologium apologizes to her, saying that the level of threat is much higher than the previous ones. Horologium then informs the group that he would not be able to protect them again since he is at his limit of his power. After providing Wendy with some new clothes, he releases her and advises the group to be careful. He then returns to the Spirit World as the group readies itself to fight Hades once more.

"Your kids are interesting Makarov, but that's to be expected." Hades said as the group shifted their bodies to a more favorable stance.

"Master, just who is he?" Erza asked as Makarov grimaced, Hades smirking as he saw his reaction.

Did you not investigate me? There should be an abundance of information about me in your guild files. I am Fairy Tail's second master. I went by the name of Purehito back then." Hades said as everyone's eyes widened in disbelief at what they heard.

"Cut the crap! There's no way you would have been the master of our guild!" Gray shouted as he took a step forward, Hades swiping his hands.

As Gray was prepared to charge Hades, he was caught in an explosion by Hades' **Amaterasu**. After attacking both Gray and Wendy with Amaterasu, Hades uses his **Chain Magic** to bind Lucy and Erza together and attack them with the same attack. Makarov tries to attack once more but Hades with his Bullet Magic attacks him, causing him to fall as he clutched his freshly wounded shoulder. Hades then proceeds to attack Wendy and Gray with the same attack. Hades then laughs as he watches the Fairies fall.

"Do fairies really have tails? Do they even exist? Like them, this place as an eternal mystery. A never ending adventure." Hades said, reciting the origin of the name of the guild as Makarov rose to glare at him.

"Oh? Still standing boy? Don't you know when it's time to give up?" He said as he walked over to the downed man, before kicking him down and placing his foot on his head the others shouted at him to stop.

"You journey is about to end. Mavis entrusted her will to me and I entrusted it to you, but I'm afraid that was a mistake. You changed the guild, changed what it was to something it wasn't." Hades said as Makarov defiantly rose his head to glare once more at Hades.

"T-There is nothing wrong about change." Makarov said in a tone of confidence as Hades scoffed at him.

"You shone too much sunlight onto magic boy." Hades said as the younger mages gave him a confused look.

"Y-You're wrong... Those without the courage to change will forever remain stagnant and stale, unable to take a step towards the light that is the future." Makarov said in a sure tone as Hades raised his hand at him.

"You've never changed Makarov." Hades said in a somber tone as he built up a large amount of magic into his fingertips, the eyes of the downed mages widening as they tried to stand.

"Stop!" Gray shouted as he tired to force his body up, doing everything in his power to rise.

"Master!" Erza screamed as she gritted her teeth, snapping her eyes closed as she tried to find the strength to stand.

"Stop it!"Lucy screamed as an unnaturally loud bolt of lightning snapped, crashing into the airship as a bright light momentarily blinded the mages.

"So... He's the one who hurt the old man huh." The figure inside the cloud of dust asked, before the eyes of everyone widened when they saw who it was.

"L-Laxus!" They shouted as they stared at his back, Laxus turning slightly to see the downed and injured form of his grandfather.

"W-What, the brat?" Hades said in confusion, only for Laxus to deliver a brutal headbutt.

Laxus reveals that he visited the island in order to visit the graves of his ancestors. With that, he begins the battle by kicking Hades, followed by a lightning charged punch that sends Hades flying. Laxus then charges at Hades and attacks him with a punch and a **Lightning Dragon's Roar** that misses. Hades counters with his **Chain Magic** which misses and hits the giant globe. Hades tries to flatten Laxus with it but misses. Throwing away the globe, Hades attacks Laxus with an invisible, long range attack followed by a bomb formula that causes a huge explosion. Laxus retaliates by using his Lightning Magic to propel his next attack. The Fairy Tail Mages watch Laxus in awe, surprised to see his strength. Suddenly, Laxus' body weakens due to the spell that hit him previously.

Realizing Hades' strength, Laxus smirks, saying that he still has a long way to go. The Fairy Tail Mages begin to panic after hearing Laxus and watch as Hades uses his **Explosion Bullet**. Just as the attack is about to collide, Laxus, realizing that he can still get angry if something happens to Makarov even though he is no longer part of the guild, take the explosion, much to everyone's surprise. Makarov's eyes widening as he saw the downed form of his grandson quickly felt a flood of anger and rage flow through his body as he stood.

"Oh? Getting serious now boy. Then, allow me to get serious as well." Hades said as the eyes of the Fairy Tail mages widened, hearing that he wasn't serious throughout the exchange.

As he straightens up, Hades says that it would be more simple to finish them now and thanks the group for entertaining them, much to the group's surprise. Hades, saying that he will show the group something remarkable, removes his eye patch and calls forth the Demon's eye to awaken. An immense amount of Magic Power escapes Hades, much to the group's surprise. With both eyes open, Hades faces the group and tells them that it's the end for them. The pressure from before increasing by an abnormal amount, even Makarov fell back to his knees at the pressure.

As Hades releases his Magic Power, the Fairies watch in awe Makarov rose once more. Hades states that the world will change when Zeref awakens tonight, and that he will obtain the "Magic of One". Lucy recalls having heard of such Magic before from her mother, Hades declares that they cannot step into the abyssal deep because they lack the resolve. He the activates a spell based on hidden Magic which summons Demons from the rubble. The team begins to shake in fear at this power until Makarov stands once more.

(Scene Change - Grimoire Heart Airship: Exceeds Location)

With the Exceeds, Happy, Carla and Pantherlily discover something and Happy theorizes that they have found the power source. However, Carla disagrees and Pantherlily relates the discovery to the name of the Dark Guild, "Grimoire Heart". Just then, Mages from Grimoire Heart discover the three Exceeds, prompting Pantherlily to hold them off while Happy and Carla find a way to stop the airship.

The Grimoire Heart Mages underestimate Pantherlily as they charge recklessly towards him. However, with a door handle that he obtained while searching the ship, he defends himself against the crowd of Dark Mages. The Mages acknowledge Pantherlily's strength, but are soon utterly flabbergasted as he shifts into his **Battle Form**. Pantherlily gains the upper hand as he takes out some of the Mages with simple hand-to-hand combat. One of the Dark Mages charges towards Pantherlily with his sword but Lily stops him and takes the Mage's sword and slashes the group of Mages. Pantherlily stares at the sword he snatched as green smoke begins to surround it.

(Scene Change - Grimoire Heart Airship: Main Battle Location)

"Do not allow yourself to be consumed with fear." Makarov started, the younger mages turning to look up at him as he continued on undeterred.

"Fear is not evil. It is not something that you should try to avoid. It allows you to learn what your weakness is. When we learn our weaknesses, it only allows you to grow stronger and kinder. At this moment, we learned our weakness. When we are alone, it might be too frightening, too heavy to bear. But you aren't alone right now are you? You have all of us standing beside you, supporting you right now. You have the support of Fairy Tail with you! So stand! Erase the fear that dwells in your heart! For you are not alone! We are not alone!" Makarov shouted as he rose to a standing position, his magical power skyrocketing as Hades raised an eyebrow in interest at the scene.

"Hmph. It's far too late boy." Hades said as he raised his hand towards them the demons he summoned charging straight towards them.

"It's not too late!" Makarov shouted, his magical power peaking as he held his hands out in front of him and fired a large concentrated beam of magic at Hades as his children rose to their feet.

As the dust cleared, the demons were reduced to ashes while Hades stood tall and unharmed. Seeing him stand after such a powerful attack immediately quelled the spirits of the mages but suddenly Hades hunched forward and gripped his eye, writhing in pain as his magical pressure nearly vanished.

(Scene Change - Ultear's location)

As Fairy Tail is attacking Hades, Ultear uses her Arc of Time to return Tenrou Island and the Great Tree back to their original state, thus restoring all of Fairy Tail's Magic. She feels reborn anew as she does this.

(Scene Change - Grimoire Heart Airship: Exceeds Location)

Pantherlily claims the sword his as it has the ability to change its size like the weapon he used in Edolas. The Mage Lily took the sword from, complains that his expensive "Musica Sword" had been taken from him. With this new gained power, Pantherlily overpowers the Grimoire Heart Mages, blowing them away with powerful swings of it, that can even knockdown the iron wall behind him and easily push Happy and Carla back. Pantherlily then proceeds to make quick work of the remaining Grimoire Heart Mages.

(Scene Change - Grimoire Heart Airship: Main Battle Location)

"I-Impossible! M-My heart!" He muttered, dropping to his knees as the Fairies quickly moved to finish him off.

Their energy returning tenfold, they all charged in as Hades panicked and tried to invoke **Grimoire Law** only to be sent flying back from a blast of light magic from Makarov. Moving in close, Lucy summoned Caprico as Hades looked on in mild shock, seeing his subordinate summoned by her. Lashing out with a flurry of blows, Caprico sent him flying towards Wendy who sent him crashing into the ground with a **Sky Dragon's Roar** as Gray and Erza moved to finish him off. Requiping a katana, Erza unleashed a powerful **Demon Blade Crimson Sakura** slash as Gray followed up with his **Ice Blade: Seven Slice Dance**. As Hades fell to the ground, Makarov stood in front of him with his hands held together as Hades simply stared at him in shock and disbelief.

"I-Impossible..." Hades whispered as a bright ball of light formed in Makarov's hands.

"This... Is the power of my Fairy Tail." Makarov said before unleashing an even larger beam of light as Hades cried out in pain, the beam destroying a large portion of the ship as Hades laid defeated.

The lesser Mages of Grimoire Heart come storming in while chasing Happy, Pantherlily and Carla, though they run away at the sight of the other Fairy Tail Mages, including Makarov, who have just arrived. They celebrate their victory as well as Laxus' return. Afterwards, they head back to camp except Makarov who approaches Hades. When Hades reasons that it was all to create the Ultimate World of Magic and to acquire the "The One Magic", Makarov leaves Hades, reminding his former master of all of the things he learned about Magic being alive from Hades himself. The Fairy Tail Mages start relaxing at camp as Juvia returns from failing to chase Zeref.

(Scene Change - Grimoire Heart Airship)

Meanwhile, the Grimoire Heart ship takes off with only Rustyrose, Kain, and Hades. Zeref suddenly enters the ship, blaming Grimoire Heart for the use of Acnologia. He then predicts the end of the current era.

Hades quickly orders the two to bring him the keys for Zeref's awakening. However, Zeref states that there is no need since he is already awakened and was never asleep. He then continues his explanation, saying that he had seen countless people die in war 400 years ago, and realized how valuable lives really are. That also started his curse of his body, taking lives against his will. In order to stop such effects, he has to forget the importance of lives. Zeref continues by stating that they are the ones who caused him to summon Acnologia, and he will punish them. Before Hades can ask him anything else, Zeref announces the two crimes they committed, and then prepares a spell that causes Hades' demise.

(Scene Change - Ultear and Meredy's Location)

Ultear leaves the island together with Meredy on a rowboat, leaving Grimoire Heart to deal with Zeref. After being silent for some time, Meredy asks Ultear if she was the one who attacked her hometown, having heard the truth from Zancrow. Ultear confirms Zancrow's claims, knowing that she would have had to reveal it sooner or later, and admits that destroying Meredy's town was one of the things she once thought wouldn't have mattered after Zeref's revival.

Seeing Meredy's angered reaction and realizing she has no right to be forgiven, Ultear decides to prevent Meredy from staining her hands with her own blood by stabbing herself in the stomach and throwing herself out of the boat, telling Meredy to find happiness. As her body sinks into the ocean, she prepares to enter her mother's embrace in death when Meredy dives in after her and rescues her. Meredy declares that she knows about Ultear's sadness and regrets, using her **Sensory Link** to combine the two girls emotions. Meredy forgives Ultear, begging her to stay alive so that they may live together. Ultear is brought to tears and hugs Meredy as they float together in the ocean.

(Scene Change - Fairy Tail Main Camp)

Due to the recent events, Makarov announces that he is going to suspend the S-Class trial, much to most of the candidates' dismay. Elsewhere, Cana is finally able to talk to Gildarts in private. With the others gone, Gildarts asks Cana what is wrong, having seen her sad face. She explains that she came to Fairy Tail to find her father, who she confesses to be Gildarts himself, surprising him as he instantly asks whose child she is, listing out all the women he has been with. Having said what she wanted to say, Cana turns to leave, saying that she is not expecting Gildarts to be part of her family and that they can return to the way they were.

However, Gildarts approaches her and hugs her, realizing that her mother is Cornelia, the only woman that he really loved and the only one he married. He explains that he left eighteen years ago but never knew that he had a kid. Gildarts continues to hug her, asking for the right to love her. While the two stand in each other's arms, Lucy, watching from afar, begins thinking about her own father. Elsewhere, Zeref watches as a large black Dragon approaches the Fairy's island.

The members of the guild start feeling an ominous presence around them. Soon after, a loud cry of a Dragon reaches their ears, the cry of the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse, Acnologia. As Acnologia approaches, Makarov orders everyone to stand back and uses his **Titan Magic** to expand himself to be able to hold back Acnologia. Everyone runs away in tears, as Makarov continues to battle the beast.

The Dragon knocks him down, injuring him. He had believed it would be his end. Suddenly, the Fairy Tail Mages, led by Erza, arrive and begin fighting Acnologia while Laxus helps his grandfather, reasoning that there was no way they could've left him behind.

Makarov contemplates his kid's return as they fight the Black Dragon. Lisanna attacks while using **Animal Soul: Wings**, Levy casts **Solid Script: Fire**, Gajeel slashes him with his **Iron Dragon's Sword**, Gray shoots a volley of **Ice-Make: Arrows**, Mirajane uses **Satan Soul**, Elfman and Bickslow attack physically while the rest stand ready. Laxus lets Makarov know that he was against this, but he shouldn't be surprised of how it turned out, as, after all, they are his guild. As they continue to fight, a mysterious girl watches them; she closes her eyes and holds her hands together.

Acnologia blows everyone away and they realize that none of their attacks are working at all, while Gildarts thinks about the strength it's currently using and the strength it used against him, realizing that he's just playing with them.

Acnologia then ascends into the skies and prepares his **Roar**. Everyone realizes the Dragon intends to destroy the entire island with his next attack and Erza tells them to use defensive Magic, but Freed argues that he doesn't have enough time to use his runes, Levy, however, says that not all defensive Magic requires seals or runes.

Lisanna tells everyone to focus their Magic Power on Freed and Mirajane tells everyone to join hands. They grab each other's hands and promise to return home to Fairy Tail together. Acnologia then releases his **Roar**, a massive beam that makes the bodies of the Team Tenrou tremble, and creates an immense explosion that eradicates Tenrou Island, leaving nothing but a crater in its place.

Zeref realizes that it is all over as the island is no more. Ultear and Meredy witnessing the destruction of Tenroujima by Acnologia. After destroying Tenrou Island on December 16th of the year X784, Acnologia was never seen again. The Magic Council searched the waters surrounding where Tenrou Island once stood for over half a year, but to no avail.

(Time Skip - Half a Year Later)

(Scene Change - Rune Knight Branch Building - Natsu's Cell)

Sitting alone in his cell, Natsu idly carried out his workout, ignoring the gossiping guards outside of his cell. Upon realizing that they were in front of his cell, freezing as he turned his head slightly to face them, they immediately clammed up and quickly left the area as he continued staring at the space they stood at before returning to his exercise. He didn't care about the destruction of Tenroujima, the missing Fairy Tail mages or the fact the Council had called off the search for them, at least, he stopped caring.

No one from Fairy Tail visited him during the six months he was in prison. No one had come to relay the news about his old or rather ex-friends disappearing. No one cared or at least no one seemed to care. The first month he had been furious, raging about in his cell in anger, rage and hatred about the events that occurred before he finally broke down and shed tears for his ex-friends. But after that, he started to calm down, his hot bloodedness cooling significantly during his imprisonment. The hate, anger and betrayal he felt soon started to fade as well, vanishing by the fourth month as he placed the blame on the hooded figure who framed him.

But by the sixth month, he stopped blaming anyone and simply choose to live out the rest of his time in prison seeing as it was pointless to blame someone who you knew was long gone. There was nothing to worry about, nothing to do, nothing to see, nothing but himself and his thoughts and the books a few of the kinder guards offered to him. Natsu Dragneel wasn't a hot blooded young man anymore, his old personality destroyed and replaced with a calmer more levelheaded one who only truly valued his own self though he did concern himself with a few other. Jellal was one of those people, seeing him on occasion when they were given their mandatory physical examinations.

Though it was a strange turn of events, a friendship sprouted between them. At first it was a little awkward, the two barely speaking to one another during the five to ten minutes they were together. But soon, they started talking more and more before they were eventually even comfortable to joke around one another. Over the course of their incarceration Jellal managed to regain his memories apologized many times over, and every time Natsu would brush them off. While he didn't have as many as he used to, his number of friends vanishing, Natsu had found a trustworthy and loyal friend in Jellal. Though, they paths diverged when they were sent to two different prison facilities in Fiore.

"This is goodbye huh." Natsu said in a slightly mirthful tone, Jellal offering him a small but sad smile.

"I assume so. It was fun getting to know you Natsu. Take care." Jellal said as he offered his hand to the pink haired young man, Natsu taking it and giving him a firm shake.

"You too. No matter where we are, we'll always be friends." Natsu said as a small smile graced his features, a sight that had become an extremely rare sight.

"The best of friends." Jellal replied as his smile changed from a sad one to a happy one.

Finished with their farewells, granted to them by the generosity of the council, they were then loaded onto their respective prison carts and shuffled off to opposite sides of Fiore. Sitting in his cell, Natsu winced as an intense wave of nausea hit him. Taking a deep breath, he managed to ease it enough to a point that it wasn't debilitating. Leaning his head back against his portable cell, he could only hope that his friend would be fine. But, only time would tell.

(Time Skip - Six Months Later)

(Scene Change - Dionaea Town: Rune Knight Branch - Natsu's Cell)

Finishing with his exercise, Natsu dropped to his feet from the upside down position he was in, grabbing a bottle of water he was mandated by the warden. Taking a gulp, he let his slightly blank black eyes drift upwards as he moved to sit on his bed. It had been a year since his imprisonment and to be frank, he had gotten used to it. Over the course of the year, he had severed all ties and bonds he had to Fairy Tail, Blue Pegasus and the other guilds who he worked with in the past. None of them visited him, talked to him, offered to hear his side of the story, no one bothered.

"Wonder how Jellal is doin'. Hope he's alright." Natsu whispered as he left himself completely fall onto his bed, his eyes beginning to drift shut.

But soon, a light tremor shook the building as Natsu lazily cracked an eye open and watched a frantic storm of guards scurry down the hallway. Shaking his head he closed his eye again when the tremor grew before the wall to his cell crumbled to dust. Tensing, he prepared himself to fight whoever came into his cell but frozen when a familiar shade of blue hair caught his eye. Then a smile broke out on his face when he saw the smirking face of Jellal standing before him.

"It's been a while Natsu." He said as he took a step into Natsu's cell, the pinkette simply shaking his head.

"Half a year. I don't see you for half a year and you do this?" He asked as Jellal laughed slightly, before turning serious as Natsu raised an eyebrow.

"Natsu... Will you join me? Will you join Crime Sorcière?" He asked as Natsu looked at him in a mix of confusion and shock.

"Crime Sorcière? A guild?" He asked as Jellal nodded, shooting glances at the hallway.

"I'll explain everything later, but please. I, we, need your strength." He said in a slightly pleading tone as Natsu sighed, Jellal's heart dropping slightly.

"I thought you knew me better. I'll back you up as best as I can." He said as he reached over and firmly grasped Jellal's hand, the bluenette's eyes widening before a smile broke out on his face.

"Come'on then, we need to get out of here." Jellal said as Natsu nodded, the two hopping out of the cell as the wall reformed to Natsu's amazement and confusion.

"Huh?" He asked as Jellal smirked, gesturing to the two who were hiding in the shadows to reveal themselves.

"Natsu. I'd like you to meet your new guildmates and hopefully friends." Jellal said as two beautiful young women stepped forward.

"Hi Natsu-san, I'm Meredy!" Meredy said in a happy tone and matching smile, blushing a bit when she saw his handsome features up close.

"And I'm Ultear Natsu. A pleasure to meet you." Ultear said with a smile, Natsu smiling slightly back at the two.

"It's nice to meet you two, too." He said before they threw him a cloak, the pinkette quickly putting it on as they all smiled at their newest member and friend.

"Then, as Crime Sorcière, we welcome you Natsu Dragneel." Jellal said as he gestured for them to start moving, Natsu taking a deep breath of fresh air as he felt his magic surge through his body.

"Thanks you three, I'm all fired up." Natsu said in fond tone as he followed behind the three mages before him, the place he called home for the past half a year shrinking behind him as the sunlight lit road before him shone a path towards a brighter future.

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**And that's a wrap. A lot different from my usual writing style but I had to cut down on a lot of the scenes to prevent this from hitting 30K on the first chapter with nothing but a recap of pretty canon events. Trust me that the future chapters won't be like this, I just wanted to give you guys a little substance before they start to dip off in length. So yeah, tell me what you guys think? Till next time, stay awesome alright? **


	2. Chapter 2

"Natsu!" - Person Talking

"_Natsu!_" - Person Thinking

**"Natsu!"** \- Large Being Talking

_**"Natsu!"**_ \- Large Being Thinking

**"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"** \- Magic

**Hey guys, it's Dom again bringing you another chapter of Smoking Coal or Charred Wood wait... Smoldering Ember! That's it. This chapter is a little meh, it's got a few cool bits I think and I really enjoyed writing a large portion of it but I'm still having trouble writing character interactions and the like. Well, hope you all like it, I'm really enjoying writing a Fairy Tail fic so I hope you like reading it. That's enough of me yapping though, you came to read right? Well, let's a go.**

* * *

Smoldering Ember - Chapter 2

Seven years had passed since the mysterious disappearance of Fairy Tail's core members, and six years since the mysterious death of Natsu Dragneel. During the past seven years many smaller search parties scanned the area where Tenroujima once stood, always coming back empty handed with each attempt. As the years passed, Fairy Tail had become a former shell of its old self, many of its members being forced to leave to find work as the flow of job requests began to decrease more and more as the news that they had lost all of the S-Class mages that completed the more dangerous and serious jobs. Now, after seven years, Fairy Tail had gone from being one of Fiore's most renown and powerful guilds to a laughing stock.

As for Natsu Dragneel, after the devastating earthquake that struck Dionaea Town, collapsing the prison and burying many of its prisoners, they were unable to find any trace of his body. It was later discovered that his entire cell block had broken off and had fallen into the sea below. When a team went into the depths below, they confirmed their findings when they found the partial skeletal remains of many of the prisoners which were in the cell block, finding a decomposing and scavenged corpse inside of the still locked cell that belonged to Natsu Dragneel. When his death was announced there was an uproar, many demanding to give him a proper burial but it was opposed by a majority of the council. In the end, him name along with the other prisoners who had met their untimely end was etched into a memorial block inside of the newly constructed prison as a deterrent for any unruly prisoners, which proved to be effective.

However, Earth Land was about to be shaken when shocking news made it to Fairy Tail

(Scene Change - Hargeon Town: Hargeon Port)

Standing on the port of Hargeon Town, overlooking the ocean, Romeo was staring with a longing gaze towards the direction he last saw the members of his guild. Slowly scanning the horizon of the sea once more, Romeo let out a soft sigh as he adjusted the muffler that was wrapped around his neck. Behind him, two figures could be seen watching him before one of them spoke.

"How long are you gonna just stand there and stare at the ocean?" Bisca asked as Romeo remained silent.

"Our work is over, let's head back to the guild." Alzack said as Romeo still remained silent, the two exchanging knowing looks.

"Macao asked us to take care of you, Romeo." Bisca said as he lowered his head slightly.

"If you don't hurry and get back, your dad will start to worry." Alzack added as he released a sigh.

"Okay." He said in a quiet tone, Bisca frowning slightly.

"Romeo... We understand how you feel, but..." Bisca started only to have Alzack place his hand on her should to stop her, shaking his head as she nodded softly.

(Time Skip - An Hour Later)

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Fairy Tail Guildhall)

"Damn it! Where's Romeo! He should have been back by now! Bisca and Alzack probably ditched him to spend some time together in the city!" Macao shouted angrily as he slammed his mug on the counter.

"Pipe down Macao, you're not a kid anymore you're an old man. So just have a seat and calm down." Wakaba said before taking a long drag of his pipe.

"I thought I told you to call me master!" Macao shouted, butting heads with the smoking man.

"Well I've never heard of a master with a complete lack of dignity like you!" Wakaba shouted back as he ground his forehead against Macao's.

"Picking on people again?" Max asked, getting the attention of Warren and Nab who turned to face him.

"IT's not like it can be helped, no work is gonna come around to a little guild like ours." Warren said as he moved from the job board.

"Just look at the few job offers we have!" Nab said as Max's eye twitched when he heard the irony of his statement.

"Oi, this has nothing to do with people like you who don't work." He said in an annoyed tone, Warren sharing his look.

"Hey Droy, have you felt pressure in the earth again?" Laki asked, obviously taunting the now portly Droy.

"You trying to tell me I've gotten fat?!" He mumbled with a mouthful of food, Jet shaking his head.

"Man, you've got no self awareness." He said before taking a swig of the bottle in his hand.

"Well take a look at Reedus, see how slim he's gotten?" Laki said as Reedus turned from his canvas to face them.

"Well, I was originally like this in the first place." He said as Droy waved his fast at him in anger.

"If Levy could see me like this now, what would she say..." Droy started only to be cut off by Macao's shout.

"Levy's not coming back!" He shouted, the entirety of the guild freezing when they heard his statement.

As the atmosphere of the guild went serious and tense, it only increased when the doors were kicked in, a group of young men walking in. Taking a look around, they only sneered at the Fairies in the building before moving about the guild.

"Teebo..." Wakaba muttered under his breath, tensing as the rest of the guild followed.

"I thought I told you not to come here anymore!" Macao shouted in angry and a bit of worry as Teebo narrowed his eyes at him.

"Hey, Hey... Is that really the way you should be speaking to me? After all, Twilight Ogre's the guild the represents Magnolia now." Teebo hissed out as the rest of the Twilight Ogre members snickered.

"There was a time when Fiore was the strongest but now, who knows? Your era came to an end years ago. Compared to that place built on a beat-up old tavern, and the guild of the new age Twilight Ogre. It's pretty obvious which one would be more beneficial to the advancement of Magnolia right?" Teebo sneered as the Fairies bristled in anger.

"Acting all high and might cause they've got a bigger guild then us." Max growled out, clenching his fists.

"We've got spirit!" Warren shouted as the Ogre's simply sneered at him.

"You ain't gonna survive off of spirit alone." Teebo said in a knowing tone, the Fairies biting back a retort.

"What did you come here for Teebo." Macao asked as Teebo gained a look of realization on his face.

"Oh that's right, this month's pay. Where is it?" He asked as Macao flinched.

"Oh? Don't have it? You're late on your debt payments." One of the Ogres said, glancing at the job board.

"Come on now, when you were on the verge of collapsing who was it that came to rescue this run down tavern? We were the ones who stepped in and loaned you money, weren't we!" Another shouted as Jet grit his teeth.

"Why did you accept their help when you knew they were this stupid." He said as the Ogres bristled in anger.

"You say something you bastard?!" One of them shouted as Jet took a step forward only to be stopped by Macao.

"Jet, enough!" Macao shouted, Jet biting back a retort as he chose to level a glare at them.

"Next month. We'll pay then." He said as Teebo narrowed his eye.

Lashing out and kicking Macao away, the Ogres proceeded to run amok in the guild. Smashing everything that they could, they left no table, chair or bottle unbroken as they made a mess of the guild. Finally, after a few minutes of hearing nothing but the sound of things being broken, they let out a satisfied sigh as they turned to walk out the door.

"Next month, don't forget." Teebo said as the Ogres walked out of the guild laughing and snickering.

After the Ogres leave, everyone notices a painting of Makarov that had fallen out of Reedus' sketchbook. As they look through all the other pictures of the guild seven years ago they begin to tear up as the memories of the times they spent with the members who were lost started to come flooding back. Everyone reminisces on that day, and how Acnologia destroyed Tenroujima, and left a strange emptiness in the Eternano Waters.

"It's been seven years since then." Wakaba said in a somber tone, exhaling a lungful of smoke.

"That really takes me back..." Max said as he picked up a few of the painting that were strewn about.

"After that, nothing has changed at all..." Warren said as he bit back the tears that wanted to fall from his eyes.

"When we heard the island was destroyed, we all put everything we had into searching." Jet said as he glanced out the window.

"We didn't even find a single person..." Vijeeter said as he stopped dancing, opting to sit on the counter.

"Truth be told it wasn't just us but a lot of different groups who searched as well." Reedus added as they all lowered their heads.

"Out time to close may be coming..." Wakaba said only for Macao to shout in the negative.

"I don't want to hear it!" He shouted as Wakaba looked at him in surprise.

"Hey... You've done well, Master." Wakaba said as Macao lowered his head, shaking before he reached over and covered his face with his hand.

"Ever since that happened... Romeo hasn't ever smiled, never once..." He said as tears ran down his face.

Just then, Blue Pegasus arrives on Christina. Ichiya, and The Trimens come to the ground, and after patronizing Laki, they reveal they have detected something in the Eternano Waters. Ichiya then states that Tenroujima still exists. Based on the information received from Blue Pegasus, the guild forms a search party and sets out to the Eternano Waters in an attempt to locate their missing members.

(Scene Change - Last Known Location of Tenroujima)

However, upon arrival, the guild does not see any sign of Tenrou Island still existing. While Jet and Droy remained positive that they'll get to see Levy again, most of the members feel that they shouldn't get their hopes up. At that moment, the despondent group notices a girl standing on the surface of the ocean.

As the girl lifted her hands, the waters began to rage behind her and Tenroujima emerges from the ocean, encased in a bubble-like barrier with the Fairy Tail insignia on it. She then begins heading towards the resurfaced island with the search party chasing behind, believing that she will lead them to where everyone is. Shortly upon arriving on the island, the party finds the unconscious bodies of their friends laying in the dirt. Then, hearing a slight murmur could only start tearing up when they saw them slowly rise.

"W-What? Where are we?" Makarov asked only to be backed by Warren and Jet.

"Master!" They both shouted as the rest of the search team moved to greet their long lost master.

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Fairy Tail Guildhall)

Back at the Fairy Tail guild, Macao asks Romeo if it was a good idea for him not to join the search party. Romeo replies that even if Tenrou Island was found, there is no knowing if everyone survived as seven years have gone by without any word from them. Just then, Teebo and his group of Twilight Ogre members barge in again, jeering the guild and belittling it.

When Wakaba tells them that their payment is only due next month, Teebo retorted that they were acting on the orders of their Master, who feels that it is a problem if payments are not made on schedule. Having heard Teebo's remarks, as well as feeling upset at his guild's cowardice, Romeo prepares to fight back, demonstrating his new ability to conjure fire. However, his attempt proves to be futile as Teebo easily extinguishes his fire by simply blowing it out. Annoyed by Romeo's resistance, Teebo raises his kanabō and prepares to strike.

Just as Teebo's attack is about to land, he is sent flying by a kick from a silhouette. As everyone looks in surprise, the remaining members of Twilight Ogre having already been knocked out by several other unseen characters. With a familiar smile, it is revealed that all the missing S-Class Mage Promotion Trial candidates have returned to the guild. While Makarov comments on how small the guild has gotten, Nab and Laki note that everyone still looks young and has not aged a single day since their disappearance. Without a doubt, everyone was overjoyed with tears that the guild is finally reunited.

It is then explained that after the search party had woken Makarov up, they ran into the mysterious girl again, who now revealed herself to be Mavis Vermilion, the First Master and founder of Fairy Tail. Although unable to believe their ears and more than surprised to see Mavis in person, the party continues to locate the other missing members. Having assembled everyone, Mavis proceeds to explain how the island had survived Acnologia's attack. By amassing everyone's faith and bonds and converting them into Magic Power, the guild's unanimous thoughts and feelings activated **Fairy Sphere**, one of the three Great Fairy Magics and an absolute defensive Magic that will protect the guild from all evil.

However, due to **Fairy Sphere**'s activation, everyone was sealed in a state of stasis for the entire 7 years they were missing. Though Makarov comments that they were protected by Mavis, she states that she is just an ethereal body and that the guild's unwavering faith and resilience will even create miracles. In return, Mavis notes that the guild has grown wonderfully and praises Makarov for it. As Makarov finishes up his explanation to the guild, they notice Romeo and comments how he has grown up. Tears began to fill up his eyes as Romeo heartily welcomes them back with a smile that has not been seen for seven years.

The guild celebrates the return of their missing members with a party that lasts three days. During that time, some revelations come up. They learn from Romeo that he can change the property of his fire such as cold, stinky or purple like his dad. He also mentions that he received lessons from the ex-Phantom Lord member Totomaru, though he hasn't told his father about it. Gajeel is happy to hear about him, much to Pantherlily's amusement. Meanwhile, Macao offers Makarov's position of guild master back but Makarov lets him keep it, much to his surprise. Erza is shocked that Bisca and Alzack are married and when asked by Lisanna if they have any children, they reveal they have one daughter named Asuka.

Wendy looks over some of Reedus's artwork and finds a picture of her more grown up. However, she is dumbstruck that he forgot to figure her breasts into the drawing. Carla also doesn't approve of his drawing of the Exceeds with more humanoid bodies. Happy brings up that the their fellow Exceeds were probably worried about them, though Pantherlily comments that time travels differently for them and the years that passed probably won't seem like a big deal. It's then that members of Lamia Scale come to visit with Max revealing that they helped out with the search for Tenroujima along with Blue Pegasus. The Lamia Mages also reveal that they've climbed to be the Number 2 guild in Fiore over the years.

Lyon spots Juvia and is instantly smitten with her, throwing her into bewilderment of all the possible love triangles in the guild, while Gildarts asks the others about his connection to Cana, much to her embarrassment. The celebration continues on but Lucy notes the bitterness of the seven years that have passed and how hard it must've been to wait for any news of their missing members. She soon returns back to her old residence but is met by her landlady who, while happy she's alright, demands a back payment of 5,880,000 Jewels for her house or she won't let her in. Since Lucy doesn't have the money to pay her, she worries what to do. Thinking how the others must have the same trouble, her thoughts soon turn to Cana and Gildarts reminding her of her own father. Lucy then decides to pay him a visit.

The rest of the missing members are also finding out the harsh realities of their absence: Alzack and Bisca go to talk to Erza about Jellal. Jura talks to Makarov about a certain Guild and Zeref. Lyon tells Gray what happened to Ultear and Meredy. The next day, Lucy heads to Acalypha Town. She soon reached the market guild, Love and Lucky, where Lucy asks the clerk where Jude Heartfilia is. The clerk reluctantly informs Lucy that he passed away a month ago, much to Lucy's shock.

Lucy goes to visit her parent's graves before heading back. As she passes by two girls who are obnoxiously talking bad about their fathers. She thinks back that her relationship with her father wasn't the best, especially after the Phantom incident. But after the encounter in Acalypha, it changed for the better. Yet, after hearing of his death, she couldn't bring herself to cry and wonders if she really did hate her father.

Meanwhile, Makarov, along with Erza and Mirajane, is talking with the leader of Twilight Ogre, Banaboster, about the money Fairy Tail owes them. Banaboster constantly keeps demanding they pay him. Makarov assures him that Fairy Tail always pays back what they owe...including pain, which he informs Banaboster they owe Twilight Ogre for seven years of mistreating their guild. Erza, Mirajane and he proceed to trash the Twilight Ogre guild, much to the chagrin of Macao and Wakaba who wait outside, having believed that Makarov would just talk things out.

Lucy is at the towns fountain moping when the landlady finds her and drags her back to her house and throws her inside. Lucy is surprised to find that the place is still clean after seven years, to which the landlady replies that she kept it clean, but also took some of Lucy's clothes. She also directs Lucy to some presents on her dresser, telling that one came every year on her birthday for seven years, including one that came that morning. Lucy goes to it and sees a letter for her from her father. Reading it reveals that Jude had heard about her missing status but believed she was alright and that, despite how busy he had gotten, he really did truly love her as a daughter. Lucy cries upon finishing the letter and indeed realizes she loved him too.

Finally, the guild all gathered up once more the members who stayed during the seven long years had those who were on Tenroujima gather around and they all took in a shaky breath. A little confused and concerned why they looked so nervous, they question was answered when Macao decided to speak up.

"Everyone... As you all know, we used to have a young man who brightened up our guild, acting like a miniature sun." He said, a few of them cocking their heads before their eyes widened, a couple of them standing up once they remembered.

"Where's Natsu!" Happy shouted as he looked towards the group with teary eyes.

"Yeah, is that flame brain finally out of prison yet?" Gray asked in a slightly concerned tone as the rest of the guild who knew the truth had a collective shudder pass through them.

"Natsu... Natsu died six years ago..." Macao announced as the eyes of the returned Fairies widened, filled with disbelief and confusion.

"H-He's dead...?" Lucy asked in a shaky tone, Macao simply nodding his head in confirmation as Lisanna and Wendy fell to their knees.

"N-Natsu's dead..." Lisanna whispered in disbelief, unable to or rather not wanting to believe.

"N-Natsu-san..." Wendy wept, her face buried into her hands as her body shuddered.

"I-Impossible! I refuse to believe that he died!" Erza shouted, her eyes burning in anger as a few tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

"Erza... There was an earthquake that caused the prison he was staying at to collapse. His entire wing went under, there were no survivors. When they went to investigate they... They found a corpse in the cell that belonged to him, it even had his pink hair." Wakaba said as he took a drag of his pipe, Erza clamping a hand over her mouth to stop a sob from escaping.

At that the atmosphere of the guild took a turn for the worst as the members who were frozen in time took a few minutes to let their sorrows out. Sure they were disappointed that he had done what he did but that didn't mean that he should have died. They were hoping to reunite with him, to see that grin of his and see the fire that belonged to him. But it appeared that fate indeed proved to be a cruel mistress.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Gray's Apartment)

"That bastard... He just had to lose his damn temper when he was staying there..." Gray muttered, ignoring the wet sensation trickling down his cheeks as he sat up on his bed.

Turning slightly, he glanced at a photo that he dared to show no one for the sake that it would destroy the image of a cool headed person that he always tried to keep. It was an old, worn photo that depicted a young Natsu and himself in a rare moment where they weren't fighting but actually and genuinely getting along. Natsu and himself had their arms slung around the other's shoulder with a bright smile on their faces. That day was Gray's birthday and the guy actually got him a real present for once, it was the necklace that was dangling securely on the edge of the photo.

"I'm sorry... Wish I could've told you how much of a brother I thought you were to me instead of acting like you were a bother." Gray whispered before laying down on his bed and slowly drifted to sleep, slinging an arm to cover his eyes as another set of fresh tears managed to escape.

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Lucy's Apartment)

"I... I didn't even get to tell him how I felt..." Lucy whimpered into the pillow she held against her chest, her face pressed into it.

Even though he was always so abrasive, intrusive, hot headed and a million other things, he was the person who gave her a new start in life. Saving her from what could have been a terrible fate, he brought her here to Fairy Tail and in turn, gave her a brand new family. Sure he did a lot of silly and stupid things, but surprisingly they were never without reason. And before she knew it, he had gone from what was possibly the least desirable guy she'd ever known to the most desirable as they spent more and more time together. When he gave her the locket that was resting securing in her hands it only cemented that fact.

"Natsu... I'm sorry..." Lucy whispered before she finally drifted asleep as the locket fell and opened, revealing a photo of Natsu and herself smiling with their arms around each other's shoulders.

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Strauss Family Home)

Inside of the living room Lisanna and Happy could be seen with red and puffy eyes as they flipped through the photo album that was resting on the coffee table. They had been flipping through its pages ever since they left the guild and returned home, still unable to believe the seemingly invincible dragon that they both loved had actually passed. Then, like the previous times, they choked back a sob when they landed the most impactful photo in the album for the two. It was a photo of a blushing and grumbling Natsu and a brightly smiling and blushing Lisanna with a flower wreath on her head. Between them was the egg that Happy had hatched from and behind was the hut that they lived in. This photo was an important memory and the only known evidence of their "wedding" that was held all those years ago.

"...He never did say "I do", you know." Lisanna said in a quiet tone, a bittersweet smile on her face as she sniffled.

"Natsu was an idiot back then Lisanna... He would say it now if you asked him..." Happy said in an equally bittersweet tone, wiping his tears away with his paw.

Wrapping Happy up in a warm hug, she pulled him into her chest as a fresh wave of tears made it down the faces of the two. Sniffling, they continued flipping through the pages and had a few sad and soft laughs when they reached the memories of their happier and more joyful times. Watching with sad and tearful eyes in the doorway was Elfman and Mirajane, Elfman having a mismatched tearful and childish face in place of his normally stony one while Mirajane had a few tears dancing in her eyes, the two doing their best not to vocalize their sorrow.

"Lisanna really did love Natsu, didn't she Nee-chan." He asked in whisper, Mirajane nodding her head in confirmation.

"I think we all did Elfman, everyone at Fairy Tail did..." Mirajane said in a quiet tone, Elfman sniffling more as he nodded his head in agreement.

As he left to get some sleep, Mirajane continued to stand by the door and watch her Happy and her sister's bittersweet smiles and listen to their soft laughter as they continued through the album. Releasing a shaky sigh, she returned to her room and laid down on her bed, wiping away the tears that started to fall.

"It's because Lisanna loved you that I pushed aside my feelings Natsu..." Mirajane whispered as she looked at a photo of them in their younger days, a tearful Natsu and devilishly smiling younger version of herself.

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Fairy Hills - Wendy's Room)

Sniffling, Wendy laid in the same curled up position she had been in ever since returning from the guild. Even the prodding and concerns that Carla had were waved off as she remained in her depressive slump. Her face buried in a pillow, she refused to let anyone hear her sobs and whimpers as her body shook, Carla laying down beside her in a worried manner. Eventually Wendy peeked out and her eyes locked onto a picture of her and Natsu, the pinkette sporting a grin as he was holding a brightly blushing and flustered version of herself.

"...That's when you two returned on your first real mission wasn't it?" Carla asked, breaking the silence as Wendy nodded her head softly.

"...That was after we helped that village with the animals that were destroying their fields. After we finished, Natsu-san picked me up suddenly and someone took that picture." Wendy said in a nostalgic tone, her face becoming pink as she recalled the feeling of being held by him.

"You liked him didn't you Wendy?" Carla asked in a surprised tone, Wendy flinching before nodding slowly.

"There was a sizable age gap between you two you know." Carla said as Wendy nodded once more, obviously undeterred by the statement.

"I know Carla... But I did love Natsu-san just as much as the others, even more." Wendy said as Carla sighed, moving over to stroke her head gently.

"I hate to admit it but... I did like that pink brute as well. Happy and him were everything we weren't, they completed us somehow." Carla said as Wendy widened her eyes in realization at the truth in her statement before they closed slightly.

"But now... I'll never get a chance to tell Natsu-san how I feel..." Wendy said as Carla frowned slightly, patting her softly on the head.

"It's ok Wendy, I'm positive he liked you as well." Carla said as Wendy nodded softly, the two staying in that position before slowly falling asleep.

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Fairy Hills - Levy's Room)

"You gigantic, idiotic, moronic, impulsive, stupid, dumb promise breaker!" Levy shouted at the photo of Natsu and herself when they were younger, tears falling down her face as she continued to yell at the photo, her vocabulary becoming less and less complex the angrier she got.

Didn't he promise to always be there to beat up anyone who made her sad? To make sure that she never cried again like she had all those years ago? Didn't he make a pinky swear with her all those years ago and promise to always protect her and make her happy? Grabbing her pillow, Levy threw it at the frame as it fell to the floor with a clatter as she buried her face into another.

"Didn't you promise me that you'd always be looking out for me Natsu? Why did you have to break your promise?" Levy mumbled into her pillow as it began to get soaked with her tears.

Letting herself cry for a few minutes, venting the anger, frustration, sadness and pain that she felt, Levy managed to collect herself and moved to pick up the fallen photo frame. When she lifted it, she felt it part slightly as a small piece of paper fell out. Blinking in surprise, she kneeled down and picked it up, her eyes widening as she started to sob once more when she read its contents.

"_Levy! When you read this please don't get mad at me for breaking into your room, I asked Erza for permission first! I got you a present, you know because I burned that one book about the hero who was going to slay a dragon even though he wasn't a Dragonslayer. I left it in a special place so you have to figure it out! Mwhahaha! And I'm really sorry Levy, I was kind of angry and sad that you yelled at me, I hope you can forgive me. If you do we can go to that sweets shop in town, my treat! And again, I'm really, really sorry! Please forgive me! - Natsu_"

It was a week before he was sent to the Rune Knights, he had burned her favorite picture book from when she was a little girl. Frantically tearing apart her room, she was unable to find any trace of the present he left for her. About to give up, she felt herself kick something and saw that it was the old treasure trunk that they used to play with when they were kids. Her eyes widening, she quickly opened it up and felt a fresh wave of tears fall down her face when she reached for and gently picked up the slightly dusty book.

"The Princess and The Dragon..." She whispered as a sad giggle left her mouth, tracing its cover before another note fell out, picking it up she felt her eyes water as a bittersweet smile appeared on her face.

"_Tada! You found it! Smart place to put it huh! I hope you can forgive me Levy, it's not the same book. But I couldn't find it anywhere no matter how hard I looked! But I has a princess and a dragon! Two things you like right? Anyway I still haven't forgotten my promise, I made you cry and I'm so sorry. But I also promised to make you smile remember? If Gajeel, Jet or Droy make you cry again I'll beat them up for you! Especially Gajeel, that tin can. So smile ok Levy? We pinky promised to always support and be there for each other. - Natsu P.S. I had Erza help me write these so if there are any mistakes it's her fault, not mine!_"

Giggling in a bittersweet manner, Levy held the book close to her chest and took a deep breath. Though it was nearly faded to nothing over the course of seven years, the scent of the forest, charcoal, pine; his smell, still lingered slightly to the book. Moving to sit on her bed, she opened the book and had a faint smile as she skimmed through the pages. While it wasn't her picture book, this was the picture book he had gotten for her. Eventually Levy had fallen asleep, clutching the book close to her chest as she breathed softly, a final set of tears rolling down her cheeks.

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Fairy Hills - Juvia's Room)

Sitting in her tub, Juvia let her mind wander as she thought about the impact the news of the pink headed Dragonslayer had on her. She didn't know him very well, they've only ever gone on one mission together alone after all. But that mission was a lot more fun then the missions she'd gone out on in the past, being a lot more lively and chaotic then she could ever remember. It was then that she cemented the fact that while she didn't think of them as more then stranger really, he truly thought of her as a close friend. The thought still baffled her, even now as she mulled over her thoughts.

"Juvia is confused... She loves Gray-sama but... Why does Juvia's chest hurt when she thinks of Natsu-san..." Juvia said to herself as she massaged the area over her heart, a strange feeling filling her as she recalled a certain memory concerning the pinkette.

(Flashback - A Few Years Ago)

(Scene Change - Unknown Forest Path)

"Hey Juvia, could I ask you something kinda personal?" Natsu asked, turning to face the bluenette as she blinked in surprise at his request.

"Umm... If Natsu-san's question isn't too personal Juvia will do her best to answer." Juvia said with a bit of pink on her cheeks, expecting him to ask about her three sizes or something similar.

"What do you see in the stripper anyway? From what Mira, Erza, Lisanna, Levy and Lucy told me a guy who ignores a girl for as long as he did won't return her feelings no matter how long she waits." Natsu asked before shivering, stiffly turning to see Juvia glaring at him.

"What does Natsu-san know about Gray-sama anyway? Juvia is sure that he will return her feelings in the future!" Juvia said in a miffed tone as Natsu stiffened up immediately, knowing that tone only meant pain.

"J-Just saying! I just don't think you should be chasing after him if he's just going to keep ignoring you. Levy told me that in one of the stories she read, the girl was being ignored by the guy no matter what she did and in the end he ended up with someone else." Natsu said as Juvia froze, her eyes widening as his words sunk in.

"W-Wait! I'm not saying it'll happen to you Juvia! It's just what Levy told me and it happens to be a lot like the thing happening between you and Gray is all!" Natsu said, only adding fuel to the fire as Juvia lowered her head, the rainclouds starting to roll in as her mood dropped.

"So Juvia is going to lose Gray-sama to a love rival...?" Juvia asked in a sad tone, Natsu frantically racking his brain for a solution before they arrived back at the guild and before Juvia told the other ladies as it would only mean suffering for him.

"I just think Gray is stupid for not noticing that a cute and beautiful girl is looking at him!" Natsu quickly said as he remembered Mira saying that when a girl is feeling down the best thing to do is to compliment her.

It seemed to have worked as Juvia's face gained a healthy dusting of pink as the clouds began to part, the sun's rays breaking through as she stared at Natsu with wide eyes. She knew he was unpredictable and usually acted on instinct but he once again surprised her by his compliment, most people calling her creepy or gloomy depending on how they knew of her.

"D-Does Natsu-san actually t-think that?" She asked in a surprised and slightly bashful tone, Natsu mentally sighing as he dodged an Erza and Mira shaped bullet.

"Of course I do, I think you're style is a little weird but it's actually really cute now that I take a look at it. You look really pretty and you smell nice, like I said Gray is either blind or stupid if he doesn't notice you." Natsu said as her blush deepened, though it wasn't her Gray-sama his words struck a chord deep in her heart.

"T-Thank you Natsu-san. Juvia has never been told that from a boy before." She said in a bashful tone as Natsu grinned at her, making her avoid his gaze.

"We'll just have to make Gray look at you like that then right!" He said in a pumped up tone, her eyes widening as she heard his statement.

"R-Really? Natsu-san will help Juvia win over Gray-sama's heart?" She asked in a hopeful tone as he grinned at her.

"For sure! Leave it to me and you'll be in that stripper's arms in no time!" He announced as she giggled at his enthusiasm, ignoring the fact he called Gray a stripper once more.

"Then Juvia is in Natsu-san's hands." She said in a happy tone with a smile as Natsu returned it tenfold.

"Let's get going then! The faster we get back the faster Gray will fall in love with you!" He shouted as she laughed a little louder before moving to catch up with him.

(Flashback - End)

"Though Natsu-san's idea of helping was lifting Juvia up and throwing her at Gray-sama." Juvia mumbled as she recalled the embarrassing and chaotic scene that played out afterwards, the guild laughing loudly before another brawl broke out.

But in the split second that he held her, instead of the cool feeling that usually accompanied Gray when he touched her, she felt an overwhelming amount of warmth flood her when he picked her up. It felt... Nice. She had never felt so safe and warm before being in his arms and to be frank, she kind of preferred it over Gray's cool touch. Releasing a sigh, she got out of the tub and dried herself off as she headed to bed. Laying down, she let her conflicted thoughts fade as she focused simply on resting.

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Fairy Hills - Erza's Room)

Sitting in front of the window, Erza ignored the chill of the night as she let her mind wander to the shocking piece of information she had heard. To think the pink headed Dragonslayer that saved her and the others on a multitude of occasions had actually died, and because of a natural disaster no less. Releasing a tired sigh, her eyes held a sadness to them as she digested the fact that Jellal was somewhere out there and that Natsu had died. Two people who were important to her now both gone. One somewhere out in the world while the other was departed from it.

"Hmph... I guess it's safe to say that I wasn't meant to love..." She said in a mix of bitterness and mirth, sighing as she hit her chin rest on her knees.

While it was true that she loved Jellal, she didn't know if what she felt for the bluenette was love anymore. When she met him again at the Tower of Heaven, all she felt was sorrow and pain, having seen the boy she had loved all those years ago become something so corrupt and evil. During the incident, he was prepared to kill her without so much as flinching and that fact terrified and shocked her. Was he so far gone that the memories and times they shared were nothing to him? However that changed when they met once more on Nirvana, as a bit of his old self had returned, and with it some of the love she had for him.

The reason she was conflicted was the because of the feelings she had begun to feel for the pink headed Dragonslayer that had passed away. In a way, he was a replacement for Jellal. They were both kind, caring and loyal to their friends. In a sense, Erza used Natsu as a replacement for him for a few years before she started to see him as himself. It was then that she noticed that he was beginning to melt the armor she had placed around her heart, and it was also then that she tried to distance herself from his as much as she could have.

"In the end I loved them both..." Erza whispered as she squeezed her legs tighter, her brow furrowing as she recalled what Bisca and Alzack had told her about Jellal escaping from prison.

When they asked if she had any lingering feelings for him, she said that she didn't know herself. Now, she was conflicted more then ever when it concerned the bluenette. He wasn't the Jellal that she loved, not anymore at least. Slowly, Natsu had wormed his have into her heart and secured a place in it as they started to grow closer once more. The moment he save her from the Tower of Heaven only secured the fact that she loved him, and it was the fact that he was imprisoned like Jellal that caused her to lose her composure and immediately assume the worst when they visited him in his cell.

"I guess I really did love him a bit more then Jellal... I only wish I could have told you Natsu..." Erza said in a bittersweet tone as a few tears fell from both of her eyes before she buried her face into her knees and sobbed quietly.

"Why didn't believe you Natsu... Why didn't I protect you like you did for me..." Erza whispered as she tightened her grip around her legs.

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Fairy Tail Guildhall)

Inside of the guildhall, Makarov, Laxus, Gildarts and Gajeel were all drinking in a somber atmosphere as they digested the information presented to them. Gildarts had almost rushed over and destroyed the council for their decision if not for the combined efforts of Makarov and Laxus. Sitting with a clearly depressed expression, he idly drank as the other men looked at him in concern and sympathy.

"Gildarts... He wouldn't want you to be like this you know." Makarov said as Gildarts tensed before nodding his head softly.

"Yeah, Salamander wouldn't have wanted any of us to mope over him." Gajeel said in a low tone as they nodded in agreement.

"Come'on. Instead of moping over his death, we should celebrate the brat's life. He may have been annoying but he did remind me that I loved this place." Laxus admitted as he raised his mug the others lightly knocking their own against it.

"I don't even think he'd care all the much about whether we celebrate or mope, after all we left him in that cell." Gajeel added as they all tensed before slacking, knowing that it was true.

"I can only hope he can forgive us all for our decision all those years ago." Makarov said as they nodded their heads in agreement.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location)

"Goblin's Bone, you're found to be guilty of a number of illegal activities including kidnapping, theft and extortion." A hooded figure said in an even tone, the members of Goblin's Bone flinching before trying to locate the source of the voice.

"Up there!" A member shouted, pointing to the rafters of the guildhall.

Looking up, they tensed when they saw the blue cloak of the figure, a clear sign that they weren't a part of their guild. Dropping down, they slowly lost their tenseness and relaxed when they felt the miniscule amount of magic flowing out of them, opting to start laughing as they pointed their weapons at them.

"So what? You're gonna punish us?" A member said while laughing, the rest following as the figure glanced around, seeing a few young children chained up around their ankles.

"So that's how it is huh." They muttered under their breath before the entire building starting shaking violently.

"W-What!?" The members of Goblin's Bone shouted as they were all forced onto their knees by the inhuman amount of magical pressure, surpassing even that of a wizard saint.

The cloaked figure clenching their fist, it was consumed in a brilliant orange and red colored flame as the area around him started to crackle, burn and melt from the sheer intensity of the heat radiating off of him. The members who were unfortunate enough to be close to him felt as though they were being cooked alive, their mouths drying out as their sweat evaporated upon touching the air. Pulling back their ignited fist, the figure drove it into the wooden floor as a violent explosion of flames consumed the building, instantly burning it to the ground while incinerating everything around it.

As the smoldering remains of the building crackled and sparked, a shadow could be seen darting in and out of the flames, carrying the children who were kidnapped and forced into servitude to a safer area a few meters away. Once all of the children were safe, the figure returned to the building and grabbed the person with the most magical power, the gem encrusted jewelry he once wore now a molten pile on the floor while the clothes he had on was nothing but ash in the wind.

"W-What are you! I-I've never heard of a monster like you!" The master of Goblin's Bone shouted in fear, clearly terrified of the being that held him.

"Me? I'm a nobody." The figure said before delivering a brutal headbutt to the man, breaking his nose and knocking him unconscious.

Turning, he threw the unconscious to a spot nearby before doing the same with the other unconscious bodies of the other mages. Once they were all rounded up, the figure was met with another before they were joined by another pain. The tense atmosphere changed however when one of the figures hugged the other tightly.

"Natsu! Are you ok? Did you get hurt?" They asked as Natsu laughed soft, shaking his head in the negative as he removed his hood.

"Me getting hurt? Now I'm hurt Meredy, you think some scum can actually hurt me." Natsu said in a teasing voice as Meredy pouted, puffing out her cheeks as the other two figures laughed softly.

"Good to see you're unharmed Natsu, not that I doubted you of course." Another figure said, pulling back the hood to reveal the face of Jellal.

"Thanks Jellal, makes me feel so loved." Natsu quipped as the bluenette laughed softly, the final figure moved to embrace Natsu's arm as Meredy growled.

"Come'on Natsu, we need to get these children reunited with their children if we can." The figure said, the hood dropping to reveal the face of Ultear.

"Yeah, hopefully they're still alive." Natsu said as they moved to tend to the clearly terrified children, reassuring them that everything was going to be fine.

(Time Skip - A Week Later)

(Scene Change - Unknown Location)

With the news of Fairy Tail's core members spreading like wildfire throughout Fiore, two men begin to speak of Natsu and Gajeel. At the top of a ruined looking area, one stood while the other remained sitting.

"Apparently he's returned." The blonde haired young man said.

"What are you talking about?" The black haired young man asked, the blonde simply smirking.

"The core members of Fairy Tail that disappeared seven years ago."The blonde said as the black haired young man scoffed.

"Don't lie to me, Rogue. Especially when you used to look up to Natsu-san that much." The blonde said as Rogue grew quiet.

"That was a long time ago Sting... A time where he was alive." Rogue said as he looked off in the distance.

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Fairy Tail Guildhall)

Meanwhile, at the old Fairy Tail guild hall, Makarov leads Gildarts down a secret passage which none of the other members know about, the two eventually reaching a large chamber. Makarov opens the chamber and shows Gildarts the guild's greatest secret, Lumen Histoire. As Gildarts looks on in shock, Makarov explains that he is seeing the true nature of Fairy Tail, before informing Gildarts that he is to be the next guild master.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location)

"Man, talking about seven years ago really makes me nostalgic... I was about this tall back then. Ah, that's right! You were Gajeel's apprentice back then right? Man, was Gajeel scary!" Sting said as he made a few gestures with his hand, Rogue simply looking away.

"Don't cling to the past Sting. Those people were not there on the path we took." Rogue said as Sting simply shook his head at the statement.

"Die!" A sudden voice shouted as an arrow flew towards Sting, the young man simply grabbing the arrow before eating the head of it.

Then, taking in a deep breath he fired a beam that pierced the wall beside the head of the guard who fired at them. The man trembling as he stared at the two in front of him, Sting smirking at him while Rogue remained impassive.

"S-So it was them... T-The Double Dragons of Sabertooth." He said before stumbling onto his rear.

"T-The White Dragon, Sting. And Rogue, the Shadow Dragon. The Dragonslayer Duo!" He said before skittering away.

"Oh, leaving your comrade's behind huh?" Sting said in a mirthful tone, as Rogue shook his head.

"They're a dark guild after all." He said as the pitter patter of footsteps could be heard, two Exceeds moving towards them.

"Lector, Frosh? Where did you two go?" Sting asked, the two smiling at the Dragonslayers.

"We did a little bit of reconnaissance! The Iron Dragon is back and we won't be seconds best to the Sky Dragon!" Lector said as he pointed a finger towards Sting.

"Fro thinks so, too!" Frosh said as they moved towards the two.

"Right?" Sting said holding his hand out as Lector high fived him.

"After all, you're the most powerful Dragonslayer Sting-kun! Mhmm!" Lector said as Sting smiled at him.

Moving onwards and leaving the ruined remains of the dark guild behind them, the four headed back to Sabertooth to rest and plan for the future.

"I think as of now, I'd be able to Natsu-san if he was still alive. Don't you think?" Sting asked, turning to face his companions.

"Yeah, of course you would! Mhmm!" Lector said as he pumped his fist into the air.

"Not interested." Rogue said as Sting shook his head, obviously expecting that type of answer.

"Fro, too." Frosh answered, looking at Rogue as they continued on the path.

Above, near the top of the collapsed remains of the dark guild's building suddenly appeared four cloaked figures as they observed the two Dragonslayers. The shortest of the group turning to face the tallest, they glanced back and forth before settling on the shrinking forms of the quartet.

"Sorry to say but I don't think he's even capable of leaving a scratch on Natsu." Meredy said with a smile as the rest of them smirked, Natsu remaining silent to their surprise.

"So they're back huh." He said in a quiet tone, the others glancing at him in a concerned manner as Jellal placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright Natsu?" He asked as the pinkette shook his head in the positive.

"Yeah, I'm just a little surprised that they survived an attack from Acnologia. I barely did." Natsu said as he glanced at his left arm as Meredy moved to squeeze his right hand softly.

"I'm fine guys. And about the Double Dragons, at their level right now? I wouldn't have to try at all, even with them using their trump cards." Natsu said as they looked at him with raised brows.

"Trump cards?" Jellal asked, Natsu nodding before hopping down and checking the ruins of the building for any clues.

"Tell us Natsu!" Ultear asked in a slightly needy tone as she wrapped her arm around his, Natsu ignoring her with a bit of mirth in his eyes as she pouted lightly

"Ultear stop clinging to him so much!" Meredy growled at Ultear shot her a challenging look, Natsu and Jellal sighing as they started bickering.

"Women I tell ya." Natsu said as he forced open a damaged filing cabinet and looked through it.

"It's only you really." Jellal said in a mirthful tone, a smirk on his face as he rummaged through a pile of partially shredded documents.

"Gee, thanks Jellal. That makes me feel so much better." Natsu said dryly as Jellal laughed softly, the pinkette returning it with a smile.

"Oh? And why should I hmm?" Ultear asked as Meredy froze for a few seconds before puffing out her cheeks in anger.

"Because no one would want an old hag like you! You'll be wrinkly in the next few years anyway!" Meredy said in a snide tone, Ultear paling as she received critical damage when her age was mentioned.

"Do they think I really have a problem with noticing women?" Natsu asked as he released an exhausted sigh, Jellal patting him on the shoulder.

"Well you did say that you never think about love all that much." Jellal said as Natsu shook his head, his eyes getting a bit glazed over.

"Yeah. I did say that, but you know the reason for that Jellal." Natsu said in a quiet tone as Jellal squeezed his shoulder in a reassuring manner.

"I swore on my life I wouldn't tell another soul, and I intent to keep that promise." He replied as Natsu smiled at him before standing up with a document in his hand.

"You found something?" Jellal asked, Natsu nodding as he gestured for the two ladies of Crime Sorcière to make their way over.

"Looks like our next target is in Bosco." Natsu said in a serious tone as they all nodded, securing any more documents of worth before heading out east.

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Fairy Tail Guildhall)

In an open field near the guild, Gray battles against Max, shocked that he has to resort to using his most powerful and taxing spells to win the fight. Whilst the group all watching the spar discuss their improved strength and dependence on Twilight Ogre for finances over the seven years, Erza comments that aside from monstrously powerful members like Gildarts and Laxus, the rest of Team Tenrou is not strong enough in this new world. Lucy agrees, seeing how much trouble Gray had against Max. Attempting to seek out a way to raise their magic power, Lucy, Gray, Happy, Wendy and Carla all go to visit Porlyusica and ask for her help, but the elderly woman chases them away.

Meanwhile at the guild, Makarov moves to introduce Gildarts as the fifth master, only to discover that he has left them a note declining the position and gone to travel again, though not before allowing Laxus to once again join the guild and handing Makarov the title straight back. After reading Gildarts' words on wanting Fairy Tail to be number one again, the guild express their doubt at ever reaching their former rank, though Romeo suddenly steps forward and announces that he knows how to.

"There's only one way for us to become No. 1 in short time!" Romeo announce as the Tenrou Team gave him all curious looks while the other guild members started panicking.

"No way! We've decided never to participate in that haven't we!" Macao shouted as sweat dripped down his head.

"What're you talking about Fourth Master?" Makarov said as he turned to Macao, the taller man sweat dropping.

"Would you please stop calling me that, Sixth Master." He said in a pleading tone.

(Scene Change - Magnolia Forest: Area Near Porlyusica's Hut)

Elsewhere, the group of friends finally escape Porlyusica when they notice Wendy crying. Lucy and Gray get angry at the old lady for scaring her but Wendy states she isn't upset because of Porlyusica's anger, but because her voice and scent are similar to Grandeeney's. The others question Wendy's statement, but Wendy seems sure of herself. After logically suppressing the idea that Fairy Tail's medical adviser and the Sky Dragon are one and the same, the group begins to discuss what sort of connection the two could have. Before they can reach a conclusion, Porlyusica appears and states that she has nothing to hide from them, revealing that she is the "Grandeeney" of Edolas, becoming lost and stranded in Earth Land years ago.

Despite saying that she has never met Grandeeney, Porlyusica admits that the Sky Dragon has talked to her through her heart with magic, and that she had compiled a stack of papers with notes that contain information on Sky Dragon Slayer Magic, which should help Wendy to become stronger. However, Porlyusica also cautions Wendy, stating that if not practiced carefully, two spells in particular, **Milky Way** and **Shattering Light: Sky Drill**, could destroy her body. Before parting, both Wendy and Porlyusica share a smile.

When the group arrives back at the Fairy Tail guild, Macao and Romeo are arguing about the participation of the Fairy Tail in the Grand Magic Games, a competition created in the last seven years where the winner is considered the strongest guild in Fiore, also getting a 30,000,000 Jewel prize. This motivates the missing Fairy Tail members, the group excitedly deciding to enter the competition and regain their former glory. Gray asks Romeo when it is occurring, the latter replying that it will be held in three months. Despite the older members completely disapproving due to their failure in the Games in the past, Makarov confirms that they will enter and once again be Fiore's number one guild.

"Three months? That's plenty of time to get ourselves back in shape." Gray said as he rolled his shoulders.

"Yeah! If we all work together..." Lucy trailed off with a bright smile on her face, Erza nodding her head in understanding.

"Then there's nothing we can't accomplish." She finished, rousing the other members of the guild as they smile and smirked.

"I've got to learn the magic Grandeeney gave me by then!" Wendy said in an eager tone, her eyes shining when she looked at the stack of papers.

"Did you hear! A festival, Carla!" Happy said in an excited tone, the white haired cat simply looking off.

"This guild is a festival every day, isn't it?" She said in a wry tone, a bit of pink on her cheeks.

"For honor! Festivals are all about honor! And manliness!" Elfman shouted in excitement while his sisters laughed wryly at him.

"W-Well... Looks like Elf-Niichan is excited Mira-nee." Lisanna said in a wry tone, Mirajane simply giggling at her younger siblings antics.

"Gildarts's wish... Looks like it may be coming true sooner then he expected." Cana said with a challenging smirk on her face.

But while the Tenrou Team was getting excited and worked up about the upcoming games, the rest of the guild didn't share in their enthusiasm.

"Seriously?"

"Are we really going to go?"

"What's wrong with trying?

"I... I think it's be best if we didn't..."

"Master... It's not exactly what you all think it is..."

"It's hell."

"Too bad! We've already decided we're going, so let's skip all the whining and useless chitchat!"

"Let's aim for those 30,000,000-Ahem, I mean, let's aim for the number one spot in Fiore!" Makarov shouted, pumping his fist into the air.

"Team Fairy Tail! We're going to take part in the Grand Magic Games!" He shouted as the guild cheered in agreement and excitement.

(Time Skip - One Week Later)

Having decided that they will compete in the upcoming Grand Magic Games, the returning members of Fairy Tail decide to use their remaining time to train in order make up for being absent during the last seven years. The members of Team Natsu, the group keeping the name as a memento for their ex-comrade, Juvia, Wendy, Carla and Team Shadow Gear go to the beach to train, whilst other groups of Fairy Tail head to separate locations to train as well.

(Scene Change - Unknown Beach)

That afternoon, the group splits up to train. Lucy summons Capricorn in order to help her remedy her weakness, the lack of magic during critical moments. After following Capricorn's instructions and focusing on her task, the two begin to discuss the "One Magic", with Lucy concluding that she believes it to be love. Meanwhile, Gray, Juvia and Erza also practice their magic by themselves, whilst Levy helps Wendy read through the notes given to her by Porlyusica. That night, whilst the girls bathe in a hot spring, Lucy looks to the stars and vows to push herself as hard as she can to improve for her guild.

During day two of training, the mages notice how much their magic power has increased in such a short time, predicting that they may be able to stand a chance if they can keep it up for the three months they have left. Before they can continue however, Virgo appears and tells Lucy that the Celestial Spirit World may be in danger of being destroyed and her Spirits need her and co. to help. Agreeing to assist immediately, Virgo teleports Team Natsu, along with Wendy, Carla and Levy to the Spirit World. When they arrive, the Celestial Spirit King is there waiting for them, but reveals that he merely called them there to celebrate their return after the seven years, the group spending the next day partying with all in the Spirit World.

"Come'on! Let's have a big part tonight! Everyone drink, dance and enjoy a great time with old friends!" The Celestial Spirit King announced with joy as everyone cheered and indulged themselves with the festivities, never knowing what the price their partying would cost them.

(Scene Change - Bosco: Quercia Town)

Arriving in Quercia town, the group stuck to the shadows of the building as they observed the town. From the first glance, it appeared that it was just a regular looking town with lively and relatively friendly people. But according to the documents that they snagged from the dark guild from before there was something darker going on. Glancing at each other, they nodded as they split up after testing their communications lacrima.

"Remember, if we find anything report it to each other before acting." Jellal said as they nodded, quickly moving out in separate directions.

As he scanned the east part of town, he frowned as he failed to pick up any traces of illegal activity. Closing his eyes he tried to recall any information he had about Bosco before snapping his eyes open, recalling a nearly forgotten memory. His mouth thinning to a line, he reached for his communications lacrima and applied a bit of magic into it, waiting for it to glow a brilliant orange before speaking into it.

"Guys. I think I know what's going on here." He whispered into the lacrima, hearing a bit of static before Jellal's voice cut through it clearly.

"_What is it Natsu?_" Jellal asked in a hopeful tone indicating he wasn't able to find anything as well.

"If my memory serves me right, Bosco is a hotspot for the slave trade. Bora the Prominence, formally of the Titan Nose guild, was a trader who had clients here in Bosco." He reported getting a noise of disgust and anger from the three on the other side of the line.

"_We need to find that slave ring before any more people get hurt or worse._" Ultear said in a cold tone making even Natsu shiver from how arctic it was, though he felt the same way.

"_Ul is right, we need to find the pieces of trash running that ring and end them._" Meredy added on as they moved to meet back up.

After a few minutes, they gathered in a spot in the forest outside of Quercia Town going over their plan. After Natsu recalled the piece of information regarding the slave trade, they went over the documents they recovered once more, their eyes widening when they found what they were looking for. A dark guild made completely up of women called Lilith's Angels was the one running the slave trading circle, a few smaller dark guilds working underneath them to collect the slaves for trade. Though they didn't find the location of Lilith's Angels, they did manage to find a six of the twelve guilds who made up the capturing unit for the trading ring.

"We've got a few names that are solid hits on the list for known dark guilds, the others are completely unknown as of now. From here we have a few options, one is to stick together and take out the smaller guilds one by one until we find something. Another is that we form pairs to divide our strengths evenly while remaining safe to double our reach. And the last is to completely split and hit four out of the six that we found, but that leaves each of us at a dangerous position. If you have any other ideas feel free to interject." Jellal said as they mulled over their options for their next move.

"I'd like for us to split up and take em out as quickly as we can. Once word gets out to the other guild no doubt they'll be on the move before we can hit them." Natsu suggested as he narrowed his eyes, clenching fists in frustration.

"I agree with Natsu but I don't want any of us to get caught off guard and captured. I would rather us pair off and time our strikes to avoid raising alarms." Ultear suggested as the others nodded at her suggestion.

"I have to agree with Ul. I'm still not too confident in my abilities so I would feel a lot safer confident with someone watching my back." Meredy admitted as the others nodded at her, smiling softly when she admitted her fear.

"Then I think we can all agree to pair up and strike?" Jellal asked, the others nodding as they moved to pair up.

"Meredy, you and Natsu will head to the northeast and take out Ogre Hammer while Ultear and I will be heading to the southeast to wipe out Troll Club. Report in when you're outside of the guild and ready, once we're all in place we'll strike." Jellal said as the three nodded in confirmation of their orders.

Gathering their supplies, they double checked that they had everything before heading out. With Natsu and Meredy, the Dragonslayer was reassuring the younger pinkette that he would protect her in the event that something happened. Smiling at him, she felt her confidence rise as they increased their pace. With Jellal and Ultear, they were discussing their tactic for assaulting the guild as the two, while not having as many large scale spells as their resident Dragonslayer, did have a few up their sleeve.

(Time Skip - Half An Hour Later)

(Scene Change - Bosco: Outside Ogre Hammer Guildhall)

"So that's it huh. Looks just as ugly as its name suggests." Natsu muttered as Meredy agreed, narrowing their eyes on the building in front of them.

As its name suggested, it was an extremely large and brutish looking building devoid of any decorations. Brown in color, it seemed more like a fortress then a guildhall, the most defining characteristic being the large skull of what the two presumed to be an "ogre" adorning the top of the doorway. Watching the guild members walk in and stumble out, they assumed that it was a day of celebration for some reason though they didn't really want to know.

"Well, Natsu I think we should call in Ul and Jellal now." Meredy said as he nodded, the pinkette reaching for her lacrima.

"Ul, Natsu and I are in position. What about you two?" Meredy said after channeling her magic into the lacrima, the sky blue glow indicating it was active.

(Scene Change - Bosco: Outside Troll Club Guildhall)

"There it is, looks just as bad as I pictured." Ultear said as she readied her orb as Jellal nodded in agreement.

The guildhall of Troll Club was as one would imagine it would look like. A swamp green to blend in with the area it inhabited, it was covered in a mixture of mud, branches and looked more like a swamp clubhouse more then anything else. There was the skull of what they guessed was a troll hanging on the tallest pole. Its guild members stumbling out and about in a drunken manner as they partied and danced about, causing the two to narrow their eyes in suspicion.

"Looks like they're celebrating something. Whatever it is, it can't be good for anyone but themselves and their associates." Jellal said as Ultear agreed.

"_Ul, Natsu and I are in position. What about you two?_" The voice of Meredy sudden sounded out, making the two flinch before they moved to answer her question.

"We're here Meredy and we're ready. How do you two want to do this?" Ultear asked as Jellal kept watch.

"_Natsu said that it would raise alarms if the sky suddenly darkened for a minutes then left without any rain or snow falling, or if a large explosion occurred._" Meredy said as they frowned lightly, knowing that it would no doubt raise a few alarms.

"We'll just have to move quickly then. All of our large scale spells cause a lot of unnatural phenomenon anyway." Jellal said in a slightly regrettable tone as they all nodded.

"_Alright then. Let's go._" Natsu said as they all nodded, their magic brimming forth as Jellal moved to start his spell.

Bowing down and pointing his hands downwards, all his fingers closed except the index and middle fingers. Jellal then began to slowly move his right hand until it pointed upwards, causing the clouds above them to begin circling around, forming a cyclone as the skies darkened. From the center of the swirling formation, a glowing orb began to form, growing in size until a humongous meteor emerged, falling quickly to earth towards the intended target of the Troll Club guildhouse.

"**True Heavenly Body Magic: Sema**!" He shouted as Ultear braced herself to pick off any of the stragglers with her orbs.

(Scene Change - Bosco: Outside Ogre Hammer Guildhall)

With Natsu and Meredy, Natsu had his right arm held up in front of him as a small condensed flame burned above his palm. Using his left hand to brace his right by firmly locking it around his wrist, Natsu turned and saw the quickly darkening sky to the south and smirked as he saw the golden orb forming in the center of the cyclone. Turning once more and giving Meredy a reassuring smile, she returned it and held on to him as he removed his left hand and pulled his right arm back. Then, he snapped his hand shut, crushing the flame as a tremor emanated from his position before he drove his fist into the ground causing a larger tremor to emanate.

"**Fire Dragon's Flame Quake**!" Natsu shouted as Meredy tightened her grip on him as the earth started to rumble.

From above Bosco, what could only be described as chaos sudden occurred when a large golden orb came falling down from the dark cyclone above Troll Club, causing a large explosion that consumed the guildhall. At the same time, at Ogre Hammer the ground shattered and crumbled as an eruption of flame consumed the area, incinerating everything in range of the spell before a geyser of flames suddenly erupted from under the guildhall, brilliant flames devouring it. Soon, only smoldering and smoking remains of the guildhall and the surrounding area showed that a building once stood there.

Moving in, they saw the unconscious and smoking bodies of the guild members as they headed towards what used to be the master's office. When they arrived, they saw a smoking cabinet and sighed in relief when it was mostly undamaged, thanking the fact it was enchanted to withstand fire and water damage. Opening it up, Meredy looked through it while Natsu was on the lookout for any stragglers. He turned when he heard Meredy gasp and saw her scanning a document in her hands before turning to face him.

"I think we've got it Natsu." She said as she reached for her lacrima only to be interrupted by Ultear.

"_You guys, we've found the location of Lilith's Angels._" Ultear said as Natsu and Meredy exchanged looks.

"It's in Ciliegio Town right?" Meredy asked for confirmation as Ultear made a noise of surprise.

"_No, it's in Castagno Town._" Ultear said as the two exchanged looks, frowning as they knew what was going on.

"Looks like they have multiple bases in Bosco Ultear, Jellal. It's a smart move on their part I'll give them that." Natsu growled as Meredy frowned deeply.

"_So they were prepared to deal with the council breaking up their operations after all._" Jellal said in a frustrated tone.

"Let's hit the towns that were mentioned, we'll be able to see if they really are part of it." Natsu suggested as he heard them talk over the lacrima.

"_Alright, you two head to Ciliegio and we'll head to Castagno._" Ultear said as they nodded their heads in confirmation.

"We'll report back in with anything we find." Meredy said before cutting off the lacrima.

"Looks like Ciliegio is bit to the west from here Meredy. Let's move, no doubt someone saw the geyser of fire." Natsu said as Meredy nodded, the two turning and sprinting westward.

(Time Skip - Half An Hour Later)

(Scene Change - Bosco: Ciliegio Town)

Arriving in town the two narrowed their eyes when they caught sight of a group of young men and women being escorted down the middle of town with the townsfolk eyeing them with interest. Exchanging glances, they nodded as Meredy aimed for the mages escorting the captured before as an array of blue swords appeared around her.

"**Maguilty Sodom**!" She said as Natsu rushed forward to incapacitate the soon to be downed mages as the swords flew over him and towards them.

As the swords became visible to them, everyone in the area panicked as they struck the mages causing them to shout and scream in pain and collapse to their knees. They were soon put into the ground when Natsu slammed his fists into the back of their heads, their heads impacting the ground with a low thud. Turning he ignited his fists that the temperature of the town skyrocketed, the air itself being hotter then most fires before extinguishing the flames that shrouded his hands.

At the show of immense power, the mages who managed to avoid being knocked unconscious by Natsu surrendered as they dropped to their knees and held their hands up in defeat. The townsfolk doing the same least they be the victims themselves, they panicked slightly when Meredy entered the town after securing the perimeter with a larger scale version of her **Maguilty Sodom** to stop any escape attempts from occurring. Glancing around with a cold gaze, the two mages unleashed a bit of their magic to cause a pressure to fall onto the townsfolk and mages as sweat began to run down their heads. Moving to the captured people, Natsu snapped the chains that held them as they hugged and thanked him.

"Easy there. You all rest here, don't move alright? Meredy can you check them for any injuries, you're a lot better at that then I am." Natsu asked as Meredy nodded, they swapped positions as Natsu grabbed a mage by the scruff of their shirt and lifted them to face him.

"I'm gonna give you a chance to willingly tell me where the Lilith's Angels guild is before I force you to." Natsu said in a cold tone as the mage trembled in his grip.

"I-It's underground! Under Vergine Mountain! I swear, it's the truth!" The mage shouted as Natsu nodded before headbuting them with bone shattering force.

"Alright, let's see if your stories match up." Natsu said in a cold tone as he scanned the remaining mages and townsfolk before interrogating them.

(Time Skip - Fifteen Minutes Later)

"_Natsu, Meredy, we've found out where their real base is. It's under Vergine Mountain._" Jellal sudden said as Natsu held the trembling body of the first townsperson he was about to interrogate, dropping them as she scampered away.

"Then it looks like our sources match up Jellal. Let's meet up before heading there, we've finished up here but have some people who need to be brought somewhere safe." He said as he nodded towards Meredy who dropped her **Maguilty Sodom** as they escorted the previously captive people out.

"_Bring them to the edge of the forest, we'll set up a temporary camp there for them._" Ultear said as Natsu nodded, as Meredy and himself led them to the specified spot.

(Scene Change - Bosco: Forest Camp)

"There you two are. Are you two hurt anywhere?" Ultear asked as they shook their heads in the negative.

"Alright, so we know that they're base is under the mountain so what's our plan of attack? I can just level the mountain and bury them under or we could storm in and burn it from the inside out." Natsu suggested as they mulled over their options.

"I think it's best if Meredy and myself stay here with these people, they'll need someone to protect in case something happens." Ultear said as they nodded, as it was a solid concern.

"Then Natsu and I will take out Lilith's Angels then find out any information about the other slaves."Jellal said as they nodded, the group once again splitting but not before Meredy gave the two a hug and demanded they be safe.

"We'll be fine Meredy. I've got Jellal watching my back." Natsu said with a smirk as Jellal returned it.

"I might have to worry about possible burns though Natsu." Jellal quipped as Natsu flashed him a small but savage grin as they sped towards the mountain, Natsu propelling himself using his flames while Jellal used his **Heavenly Body Magic**.

"Those two will be fine Meredy. Alone we're all S-Class mages but together, we're unstoppable." Ultear said as she hugged the younger girl in a reassuring manner.

"I know Ul, but I still worry." She said as Ultear smiled, ruffling her hair affectionately.

"Come'on, we need to find out where these people live so we can bring them back." Ultear said as Meredy wiped the worried expression off her face and moved to join Ultear.

(Scene Change - Bosco: Vergine Mountain Exterior)

Arriving at the mountain Natsu and Jellal frowned when they didn't sense an ounce of magic coming from the mountain. Exchanging looks, they nodded as they ventured to one of the caves that lined the exterior of the mountain, Natsu stopping Jellal as he sniffed the air.

"There's definitely people here Jellal and from the smell I'd say they're mostly women moving in and out from the scent of perfume." Natsu reported as Jellal nodded, glancing around to scan for any dangers.

"Then it matches the description that we have about Lilith's Angels being an all female guild." He said as Natsu nodded, the two entering the cave, using Natsu nose as a means of traversing its maze-like interior.

(Time Skip - Ten Minutes Later)

"Stop. You hear that?" Natsu whispered as Jellal strained his ears, his eyes widening when he heard the soft, muffled sound of someone crying.

"They've got kids in here." Natsu said, his tone frigid as Jellal shuddered slightly knowing that harming children was a sure fire way to get incinerated by the pinkette.

Closing his eyes, Jellal placed his palm against the rock wall and send a pulse of magic through it, getting a feel of the terrain before he opened his eyes and looked at Natsu, pointing down as the pinkette got the message. Glancing at each other, they nodded as Natsu pulled his fist back and slammed it into the floor, the rock shattering as they fell down into a large, open space that had a extravagant and fancy looking building.

"Nice one Jellal." Natsu said as he pulled his arm back, his fist igniting before he lashed forward with the flaming limb.

"**Fire Dragon's Burst Shot**!" He shouted as a fast and small sized fireball left his fist, taking the fire with it as it was sent racing towards the side of the building.

When it impacted it rippled a bit before expanding into a large sphere of fire that consumed the entire side of the building in flames. Landing, Natsu sped forward while Jellal attacked from the sky as he held his hands out causing an array of magic seals to fly above the building.

"**Grand Chariot**!" He shouted as beams of magic rained down on the building, destroying a large portion of the roof as mages started to flood out of the building in a panic by the surprise attack.

The ones who first exited were sent careening into their guildmates as Natsu sent them flying back with a vicious volley of punches. Ducking under a lightning spell he ignited his fists one more and exerted his magical pressure, forcing the mages around him to fall to their knees, the pinkette smirking when he saw Jellal enter from the skylight he had created. Turning his attention back to the mages in front of him, he pulled his arms back as they panicked.

"**Fire Dragon's Wing Attack**!" Natsu shouted as he swiped his arms, roasting and blowing away the mages as the area the attack swept over and touched turned into molten slag from the intensity of the flames.

As more and more mages tried to subdue him, more and more were rendered unconscious and smoking from the flames that danced around him like a protective aura. It was the same with the mages who tried to take out Jellal, being sent flying out of the building as he searched the area for the guild master. Finally, after ten minutes of fighting, Lilith's Angels had exhausted its supply of mages, the remaining mages cowering in fear at the two men in front of them. Meeting back up in the center of the building, Jellal nodded to Natsu as a savage grin appeared on his face. Igniting his fist once more, he pulled back his arm and slammed it into the ground.

"**Fire Dragon's Blast Fist**!" Natsu shouted as a violent explosion of flames exploded from the point of impact, consuming the guild in a torrent of flames.

As the flames died down, the remaining mages scattered a few meters away in a smoking heap, the two saw a trapdoor where the guild master's desk used to be. Nodding at each other, they ripped it open and hopped down. When they hit the bottom they saw that it was a panic room of sorts, the guild master of Lilith's Angels cowering when she caught sight of the two.

"W-Wait! P-Please don't come any closer! I-I can give you the locations of the slaves if you just don't hurt me!" She shouted as Jellal and Natsu frowned.

"It would be in your best interest to give us the actual locations, because if you don't there will be severe consequences." Jellal said as she gulped, fumbling around her blouse for a large book before tossing it at the feet of the two.

"T-There, that's all of them I swear no please leave!" She begged, crying as Natsu and Jellal nodded at each other, the pinkette moving towards her as she starting sobbing even louder.

"I-I'm sorry! I never wanted to get into the slave trade! I was a slave myself so I just wanted to get back at the people who abused and sold me off! I kidnapped their kids and sold them as slave as payback! After that I just lost control!" She shouted as Natsu grabbed her by the scruff of her blouse, Jellal nodding as they exited the building and mountain.

Knocking her out, they rescued the slaves who were held in cages around the large cavern before leading them out. When they finally reached sunlight, they were hugged and kissed by the former slaves as the two led them back to the camp where the rest of them were. Dropping the master of Lilith's Angels off at the Rune Knight division headquarters along with a copy of the locations of the other slaves and a note with the former slaves to help them back to their families, with enough jewels to last them a month, they departed from Bosco and headed back to Fiore.

(Time Skip - A Few Days Later)

"I'm glad that went off without much of a hitch. I've heard and seen that nearly all of the former slaves were reunited with their families and the rest of the branch members of Lilith's Angels have been disbanded." Ultear reported as they all let a content sigh escape their mouths.

"I'm just glad no one got killed during all of this. I'm a little surprised that Natsu didn't roast her at all." Meredy said as Natsu returned his gaze to the ocean.

"She was a victim of her circumstances. She may have been trash but monsters like her aren't born, they're made." He said as they nodded, knowing firsthand what he meant.

"Well, here's to a job well done." Jellal said as he raised a glass, the others smiling as the clink of their glasses sounded about.

"Now, why don't we move onto the next order of business." Jellal said after taking a sip of his drink, the others looking at him curiously.

"The Grand Magic Game are nearly here. Two months to go before they're upon us, and I'm curious if I'll be sensing the same dark energy that I have the previous years." He said as they grew serious.

"Also, it appears that Fairy Tail is going to be competing this year." Ultear said in a tentative tone, giving a worried glance to Natsu who remained silent as he continued to stare at the ocean.

"Natsu, are you ok? Meredy asked, holding his hand and squeezing it softly as he squeezed it back.

"I'm fine, just thinking about what kind of uproar it would cause if a dead man, a fugitive and two former dark mages were seen saving the world from disaster." He said in a mirthful tone as they froze before laughing softly along with him.

"Well, we'll just have to cross that bridge when it arrives right?" Meredy asked as they all shot her a smile, the pinkette returning it.

"Then, let's get ready for the games then. I don't care what anyone says, Crime Sorcière is Fiore's number one guild." Natsu said as they all smiled at him, blinking in surprise when he held his arm out and pointed upwards with his finger, reminiscent of Fairy Tails gesture though it was just the index finger pointing up and not held as high.

"The darkness of our pasts do not bind us." He started as they're eyes widened before a smile came onto their faces at what he was doing.

"There is nothing to do but to continue walking towards the light that is our future." Meredy chirped as imitated his gesture.

"We are sinners who seek redemption and the eradication of those who taint the light." Ultear added on as a brilliant smile appeared on her face.

"We who have dwelled in darkness will pave a path for all to move forward in the light " Jellal finished as he mimicked the gestures of his friends, pointing towards the sky.

"We are Crime Sorcière, never will we reach the heavens ourselves therefore we will shine the way for others." They all finished, sharing a grin with each other before they returned to their celebration, their spirits higher then the heavens themselves.

* * *

**And that's a wrap guys, hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. For those of you wondering, Natsu's got his post one year skip look with the longer hair, bandages on his arms though he's a taller and more muscular I didn't know how to describe him in the story without breaking flow so yeah. And sorry if the flashbacks of the Fairies were cringe worthy, I really have no idea how to write character interactions go look at my other fics to see that. And yeah, Crime Sorcière's gesture is like holding your arm out in front of you then point up while bending your elbow, not all the way like their lame-o creed says because they'll never reach heaven they don't extent their arms all the way up. Dang that creed is cheese, tell me that it's cheese guys. Haha, well enough about me whining, you all are awesome if you read this ranty bit. Till next, stay awesome.**


	3. Chapter 3

"Natsu!" - Person Talking

"_Natsu!_" - Person Thinking

**"Natsu!"** \- Large Being Talking

_**"Natsu!"**_ \- Large Being Thinking

**"****Fire Dragon's Iron Fist****!"** \- Magic

**Hey guys, Dom here with a new chapter. This one is another kinda recap, kinda new stuff chapter. I'm sorry that they're so long and full of recaps mostly but after this, it's going to be all pretty much new stuff. Again, it's kinda boring for a lot of you who've already read and watched the manga and anime but I still hope you enjoy this no matter how little. So yeah, do what you want with that information. Well, you all came to read right? Well, let's a go.**

* * *

Smoldering Ember - Chapter 3

The weeks passing by as quickly as they appeared to come, Crime Sorcière remained diligent and focused as they continued their eradication of the dark guilds. After the first few weeks however, the number of dark guilds in Fiore had dropped to a basically nonexistent number, the independent guild being so efficient in their duty. As they approached the first month, Natsu dropped a statement that made them all a little surprised.

"Hey Ul, Meredy, Jellal; I think I'm going to go off on my own for the last month before the games." Natsu said as the three gave him curious looks in response to his statement.

"Alone? Why Natsu? You usually never part with any of us, is there something wrong?" Ultear asked in a concerned tone, Natsu simply smiling and shaking his head in the negative.

"Nothing's wrong, I just have to go check up on someone for a bit then I'll be right back." Natsu said as they nodded their heads in understanding.

"I assume that the person you're going to check up on is the same person from all those years ago correct?" Jellal asked as the other man nodded, Jellal simply sighing before giving him a smile.

"I wish you the best on your trip Natsu, be sure to stay in touch though." He said as Natsu nodded, giving the bluenette a firm handshake.

"Aww... I hoped to get some Natsu time for myself." Meredy pouted as Ultear jabbed her in the side with her elbow, the two glaring at each other.

"Don't worry you two, I'll be fine. I'll only be gone for the month, then I'll be right back!" He said, trying to ease the worries of the two as he moved to give them a hug.

"Oh!"

"Kyah!"

Ultear and Meredy squeaked as they felt the Dragon Slayerembrace them, eventually returning the gesture for a few seconds before they reluctantly parted. Flashing them all a smile, the donned his cloak and pulled the hood up before heading out of their temporary base of operations. Smiling at his shrinking form, they let their stares linger on him for a moment before sighing and turning to face each other.

"Well, what do we do for the rest of the month? We've eliminated nearly all of the dark guilds in Fiore and the others are still unconfirmed as being dark guilds." Meredy asked as Jellal mulled over the topic.

"I think it would be best if we rested for the month. I have a feeling that this year's Grand Magic Games are going to be very different from the previous years." Jellal said as Ultear and Meredy nodded at the underlying message in his statement.

(Scene Change - Unknown Village)

Standing in the shadows of the large houses that covered the village, Natsu glanced at the brightly burning flame in the village center. Smiling at it, he glanced down at his hand as a crimson and dark red colored flame sat in the middle of his palm, different from his usual red and orange flames. The closing his palm and ending the flame, he moved out of the village and towards a large mountain in the distance, rolling his shoulders and neck.

(Time Skip - One Month Later)

(Scene Change - Celestial Spirit World)

"Um... We had a really good time." Erza said as she stood up and stretched, her relaxed muscles tingling.

"You bet we did, I just had the best food in the world!" Gray said in a happy tone as he patted his stomach, grinning widely.

"W-Wow! Is this really for me!" Levy asked, staring fondly at the large book that she was given.

"T-Thank you! I like the clothes!" Wendy said as she twirled a bit to see how her new clothes behaved.

"Juvia only wishes that Gray-sama was looking at her." Juvia said as she stared at Gray with heart shaped eyes.

With Lucy, she was bidding farewell to her spirits, each and every one of them announcing that they were her partners and that they would always be there for her.

"Thank you all, for everything!" She said in a tearful and happy tone, a brilliant smile on her face as the spirits returned it.

"Everyone, please take care of Lucy!" Aries asked as they all grinned at her, before the Celestial Spirit King moved to address them.

"All the stars will bless you on your way, my dear friends!" He said jolly tone, a smile on his face.

After the festivities, Virgo moves to transport them back to the beach, and the group questions the flow of time difference between the two plains, wondering if they could train for longer in the Spirit World. Virgo however reveals the opposite, stating that they have just lost the three months they had to train, dropping the group back on the beach with only five days until the Games start.

"Eh?" Gray and Erza said with a blank expression on their faces.

"Hey guys! We've been waiting for so long!" Jet shouted as Droy and himself made their way over.

"The Grand Magic Games will be held in five days! You all must have been training really hard if you were gone for that long!" Droy said in an excited tone as Erza and Gray turned pale before falling face first into the sand.

"You Mustache Bastard! Give us back our time!" Lucy shouted to the sky as Wendy cried behind her at their complete waste of time.

Fairy Tail isn't the only guild preparing for the Games though, Lamia Scale's master Ooba Babasaama forcing Lyon and Jura to participate whilst Blue Pegasus also decides to send their strongest into the fray. Sabertooth's Sting is also excited after hearing of Fairy Tail's participation, whilst Makarov's son Ivan Dreyar gathers his Raven Tail team, swearing to crush Fairy Tail.

Back at the beach, Team Natsu mopes over their lost time before Erza scares everyone by declaring that she will start a training course from hell for their last remaining days. Before she can however, a messenger bird lands on her head, the note asking the group to come to the bridge in the West Woods.

"Why are we getting ready to fight?" Wendy asked in a wry tone, holding Carla close to her chest as they moved through the woods.

"Was it a prank?" Gray asked as he scanned the area, seeing no signs of anyone close by.

"I told you all that we shouldn't have wasted our time coming here." Lucy said as Happy walked beside her, also unable to find a trace of any people.

"Hmm... That is rather odd..." Erza said as she too, wasn't able to sense the presence of people nearby.

As they headed deeper into the woods, they came across an old and destroyed bridge. Stopping, they moved closer to it and saw that it was indeed abandoned, having not seen any use in over a decade with the amount of vegetation overgrown on it. Sighing, they were about to turn back when the bridge started shaking violently. Then, before their eyes it started to regain its luster, connecting to the other side as it was renewed.

"I-It's fixed! It's connected to the cliff on the other side!" They shouted, staring at the scene with wide eyes.

"This must be our invitation." Erza said in a sure tone, the others looking a little more apprehensive.

"This might be a trap after all..." Levy said in an unsure tone, a bead of sweat running down her head.

"I-I'm getting a little scared now." Wendy said as she held Carla a little tighter, the Exceed wincing slightly.

"Well, we won't find out just by standing here all day." Gray said as the others slowly agreed, proceeding past the bridge and releasing a sigh of relief when it didn't collapse.

Venturing deeper into the forest, they froze mid step when they saw a quartet of hooded figures standing before them. Tensing and sweating slightly, they readied themselves to launch a counter attack should the group of four do anything that seemed remotely hostile. But they only tensed more before gaping in shock when three of the four removed their hoods, revealing a trio of faces that they thought they'd never see again.

"J-Jellal..." Erza whispered in shock, seeing the face of her childhood friend smiling at her.

"U-Ultear?!" Gray shouted as he stared wide eyed at his mentor's daughter, the older woman smiling at him.

"Meredy!" Juvia shouted as the pinkette gave her a wide smile, the bluenette stunned but soon happy that she was able to smile so brightly.

"It's been quite some time Fairy Tail." Jellal said as he gave a small half wave at the group, Ultear and Meredy mimicking the action as the Fairies continued to look on in shock.

After Jellal and Erza quickly discuss Jellal's jailbreak and the return of his memories six years prior, the three reveal that they have formed an independent guild by the name of Crime Sorcière, their goal being to destroy Dark Guilds and anything related to Zeref so that people will never fall to the dark side as they once did. When asked by Gray why they just don't become official, the trio answer that due to Jellal's status as a criminal and Meredy and Ultear's connection to Grimoire Heart, being accepted by the Council is impossible.

"As you can see, our guild is fine the way it is." Jellal finished as they nodded, digesting the information presented to them.

"And, the reason we summoned you here was not just to introduce ourselves. We've heard that you plan on entering the Grand Magic Games, am I correct?" Ultear asked, the Fairies nodding their heads in confirmation as the Crime Sorcière mages exchanged glances and nodded.

"We can't come near the event grounds, so it would appear we have a favor to ask of you." She continued as they listened intently, knowing that a favor from one of them could only mean something serious.

"Every year, during the event... I've felt a strange magical force. I want to identify the source of that magic." Jellal said as the Fairies blinked in surprise at the statement.

"Well, all of Fiore's guilds are going to be there right? There's going to be one or two suspicious magical forces right?" Lucy asked as Jellal nodded in agreement.

"I thought that at first as well but this magic had an evil presence to it, like Zeref's. Perhaps the presence is coming from us, since we've been so close to Zeref." He explained as Fairies flinched at the name.

"We want to find the true source of this magic, with it we may be able to track his location." Ultear said as they nodded in understanding.

"Of course, winning or losing is a different story. We're all going to be cheering you all on from the shadow. But meanwhile, please search for the mysterious magic." Meredy said Erza nodded her head slowly.

"It sounds like you're on a wild goose chase, but we'll help you out the best we can." She said as her friends turned to her in a bit of apprehension.

"You sure, Erza?" Gray asked as she nodded her head.

"I feel uneasy about a mysterious magical force in a gathering of Fiore's guilds, even more so if it has a similar presence to Zeref." She explained as they nodded in understanding.

"Of course we'll give you your compensation up front." She said as Lucy and Happy lit up instantly.

"Is it rent money!"

"Is it fish!"

"No, it's not that kind of reward. With my improved **Arc of Time** I can raise the levels of your abilities." She explained as they all gave her blank and confused looks in return.

"Think of it as a power up, but a bit different!" Meredy chirped as Ultear nodded before explaining what it entitled.

"I can use my **Arc of Time** to open your "Second Origin", a dormant magic container generally not used by mages that, if opened, can allow you access to heightened amounts of power." She explained as their eyes brightened considerably.

However, she also warns them that the process will be incredibly painful, but the Fairy Tail Mages are more than happy to receive the help and start celebrating. That is, all except Erza, who stares sternly at Jellal and the still hooded figure behind him.

Then, the two groups moved to meet each other as Meredy and Juvia hugged each other, smiling brightly as Juvia told the pinkette how happy she was to see her truly smiling. Ultear and Gray starting up a conversation about the past few years, while Erza stared at Jellal and the person who still hadn't introduced himself. As the group introduced themselves to each other, the Fairies were rather happy to see the former dark mages.

"So... Who's that?" Gray asked after a few minutes of talking with the former dark mages, prompting everyone to turn to the still hooded figure.

"That's our other guild member, he doesn't speak much." Meredy said in a causal tone though there was an underlying hint of something in her voice.

"Does he have a name? He seems kinda fishy to me." Lucy said as the Crime Sorcière mages bristled a bit in anger.

"He's our comrade who's saved all of us countless times!" Ultear said in a stern tone, Meredy and Jellal standing firmly in front of him.

"He doesn't give out his name to people he doesn't trust, it took us nearly three years for him to trust us enough to give us his name." Jellal explained as the Fairies nodded slowly, still suspicious about the man but opting to shelve their questions.

Ultear starts the process on Gray, who writhes around in terrible pain as the others fearfully watch. Carla then realizes that Erza is gone, to which Happy states that she went somewhere with Jellal. At a nearby beach, Erza and Jellal sit and discuss the latter's returned memories, Jellal confirming that he remembers Nirvana and killing Simon, stating that Erza can seek revenge if she so chooses. Erza declines, asking if creating Crime Sorcière was part of Jellal's atonement. Jellal states that he's unsure, as he still feels lost, and upon then saying that he would probably be better off dead.

"I was trying to redeem myself my sins when I founded Crime Sorcière. But now I realize that no matter what I do, I will never be able to make up for the things I did in the Tower of Heaven. If that's the case, what exactly am I doing all of this for?" He lamented as Erza looked on in shock, unsure what say.

"No matter how hard I try, I still can't find an answer. Perhaps... It would be better if I just died." He whispered as Erza's eyes widened before narrowing, pulling her hand back and slapping him.

"What are you talking about you coward!" She shouted in anger, Jellal simply looking down.

"What? So you're just going to quit living because you're not strong enough? Because that's not true! You, right now being alive is a sign of strength!" She shouted as tears began to build up in her eyes.

"You're not the same Jellal as before! Not the one who struggled to survive!" She continued, tears now falling freely from her face.

The atmosphere turned tense with Erza grabbing him roughly by the collar of his shirt. Shaking him in anger, she glared at him with tear filled eyes as he stared back in a bit of shock before a small smile appeared on his face. Stunned seeing him actually smile, Erza loosened her grip and lost it completely when he laughed, tears falling from his eyes as he moved to wipe them away.

"J-Jellal...?" She asked in concern and shock, never having seen him act in such a manner.

"I'm sorry Erza, it's just humorous. I was told something similar a long time ago by a very close friend of mine." He said as she stared at him in confusion, before swallowing the lump in her throat.

"W-What did they say?" She asked as he smiled, Erza gulping as she awaited his answer.

"He told me that "You shouldn't die for your friends, that you live for them."" He said as Erza's eyes widened considerably before she lashed out and grabbed him by the collar once more, startling him.

"T-That person... W-Who said it?"She asked in a shaky and desperate tone, Jellal's eyes softening as he saw the hope and love in her eyes.

"Yes... It was Natsu..." He whispered as her eyes widened even more before tears began to fall from her eyes once again, Erza doing her best to bite back the sobs that tried to escape her throat.

Unable to do anything else without exposing the identity of his best friend, Jellal simply held her as she cried into her hands. Sometime later, the rest of the team have taken Ultear's procedure and are all enduring it inside a small hut, save for Erza. Crime Sorcière heads off, stating they can't be in one place too long, but promising to keep in touch throughout the Games. The quartet stop in a cave for the night, where Meredy asks Natsu why he didn't expose himself to his old friends.

"So, why didn't you want us to tell them who you were Natsu?" Meredy asked as Jellal and Ultear turned to face him, curious as well.

"I wonder why myself actually." He said in a quiet as he turned and stared at the stars, the others giving him a slightly sad smile as they gave him his space.

(Time Skip - A Few Days Later)

(Scene Change - Crocus)

A few days later in the capital of Fiore, Crocus, Team Natsu are still in pain from Ultear's spell, Erza scolding them for their embarrassing whining. Lucy wonders why Erza isn't in pain like them as well, with Gray suggesting that she probably already had her Second Origin to begin with.

Makarov, Bisca, Alzack, Asuka, Jet, Droy and Levy soon find the group, Makarov encouraging the Mages to do their best despite the snide comments they keep hearing from passing people about their weakness. Lucy recalls how only five members of the guild are selected to enter the tournament, being surprised that Makarov chose Erza, Gray, Elfman, Wendy and herself.

When they ask why the master doesn't put in stronger members, he replies that none of the other Fairy Tail members have returned. The group then goes over some of the rules of the tournament, Levy reading the rule book and telling everyone the most important rules, which include the guild master not being able to participate, only members of the guild being able to participate, each event being a secret until the competition, and the rule that all members must be in their sleeping quarters by 12:00AM.

Lucy and Happy then run off to explore Crocus whilst Erza goes to their sleeping quarters, Honey Bone Lodge, and inspects the place for anything suspicious. Juvia meets up with Gray and asks him if he wants to go eat alone with her, but the two are interrupted by Lyon, who strikes a bet with Gray in which the winning guild gets to take Juvia as a member. Wendy and Carla visit the Fiore's King's Castle, Mercurius, and while they talk, a mysterious imp-like creature looks down on them from the balcony, smiling.

Lucy and Happy notice a fight going on in the middle of a street and realize it's the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth, Sting and Rogue. The two Dragon Slayers recognize Lucy, while Frosch and Lector surprise Happy by being Exceed. Together, the Sabertooth members begin to berate the late Natsu, stating that they could have easily defeated Acnologia and bragging about their status as "Third Generation Dragon Slayer", Dragon Slayers who were both taught by Dragons and whom contain a Dragon Slayer Lacrima. When they told the pair that the killed their parents, Lucy and Happy are horrified at the revelation.

"Oh, so that's what's got them feeling so high and mighty eh?" Meredy asked as she observed the group in the middle of the street.

"But killing their parents? Even if they are Dragonslayers, isn't that a bit cruel?" Ultear asked as Natsu shook his head.

"They can talk all they want, it doesn't concern me what they did to their parents. Though, it does make my blood boil a bit." Natsu said in a quiet tone, the air shimmering a bit as the pair began to sweat.

But before anything happened, Rogue and Sting departed the scene, leaving behind a crying Happy and tearful Lucy. The altercation finished, the trio parted ways in search of the source of magic that Jellal had sensed, a bit confused as they weren't able to sense anything similar to what Jellal had described.

When Team Natsu finally returns to Honey Bone Lodge, Erza scolds them for being late, however Lucy can only think about the encounter with Rogue and Sting and their threat to show Fairy Tail "true Dragon Slayer power" in the tournament. Erza then asks where Wendy and Carla are, and everyone begins to worry about Wendy and what she might be doing, stating that she is too young to be out so late. They consider going out to look for her, but remember the rule about having to be in their lodge by midnight. Before they can reach a decision on what to do, Elfman and Lisanna show up, having returned from their training in the mountains.

The clock finally hits midnight, and the announcer for the tournament, taking the appearance of a giant pumpkin-man, greets all the guilds as he floats above the city. He declares that a preliminary event will begin to reduce to total number of guilds participating from one-hundred and thirteen to eight. Lucy immediately notes that there is no way one-hundred thirteen guilds exist within Fiore, and Erza also questions the set-up of the tournament and the organizers. The announcer describes the event, the goal of the preliminary round being to get all 5 participating group members to Domus Flau, any form of Magic or technique being acceptable to achieve this. Stating that only the first eight teams will pass, the whole city then changes into a huge maze ball that floats in the sky, the announcer declaring Sky Labyrinth is about to begin.

(Scene Change - Wendy's Location)

"Carla, we need to get back now!" Wendy said as Carla nodded in agreement, seeing the large structure in the sky.

As they hurried to the Honey Bone Lodge, the failed to notice the strange creature that stalked them from behind. Rounding a corner, they were in a concealed spot near some bushes when the creature advanced on them. Springing from its location, Carla's ears twitched as her eyes widened when she heard the creature. Turning to shout at Wendy, her eyes widened even more when Wendy turned around and saw it as well. A scream about to leave her mouth, it was stopped when a hand placed itself gently on it. Their eyes nearly bugging out of their sockets when they saw the unknown member of Crime Sorcière, they practically did bug out of their sockets when he grabbed the creature in a crushing grip.

"Cheating this early? You must be more filthy then I thought." They said in a hushed tone before hurling the creature to the Sky Labyrinth.

Still in shock, Wendy and Carla stuttered and struggled to come up with a response to what had just happened. Turning slightly, the young mage and Exceed squeaked when they felt an immense amount of magical pressure rolling off of the man, who seemed to be unaware of the pressure he was exerting. Scanning her from head to toe, he nodded before turning around.

"You should get going, the preliminaries are about to begin." He said in a quiet tone, snapping the two out of their stupor.

"Y-Yes, t-thank you!" Wendy stammered before bowing and rushing to her guildmates with Carla flying behind her.

Releasing a sigh, Natsu turned to the direction she had left as a somber smile made it to his face when he was reminded of how the young Dragon Slayerwas. Turning to face the direction he sent the creature flying, he could only frown as it lacked the presence that Jellal was talking about. Shaking his head, he returned to his search as the Grand Magic Games were finally about to begin.

(Scene Change - Sky Labyrinth Entrance)

Arriving at the Sky Labyrinth, Wendy was hugged by a worried Lucy and Erza, the two scolding her for being out so late. When they asked where she was, she stunned them by retelling the event that took place; the attack by the creature, the unknown mage saving her and finally the amount of power she felt rolling off of him. A little stunned by the story, they were almost disqualified for not entering the Sky Labyrinth.

Once inside the maze, after an encounter with the members of Twilight Ogre, various rotations of the playing field and several wrong turns in the maze, the team realizes that if they steal the maps of the other teams, they can piece the maze together. After defeating several guilds, Fairy Tail successfully reaches the end, only to discover that they barely managed to get the eighth place.

(Scene Change - Crocus: Domus Flau)

Former member of the Magic Council Yajima has joined Chapati Lola as commentator of the Games. As the preliminary eighth place winners, Fairy Tail is introduced first, but are booed by the crowd. However, the other Fairy Tail members have also come to watch and cheer over the crowd, everyone becoming shocked when Mavis also appears.

"No way..." Lucy said as she stared at the petite figure of the first master.

"Could that be..." Erza added on as her eyes were as wide as saucers as she watched Mavis kick her feet.

"Hooray! Hooray! Go Fairy Tail!" Mavis cheered in a joyful tone, pumping her fist and kicking her feet.

"Master Mavis!" The entirety of the guild in the stands shouted, unable to believe that she was here and not at Tenroujima.

"I came to cheer you on!" She chirped as Makarov sweat dropped, unable to comprehend what was happening.

"Oh, and don't worry! Only people with the guild mark on them can see me so you don't have to worry about anything!" She added on as his sweat dropped spread to the other members.

"Umm, First. That's not exactly what I'm worried about..." Makarov said as she puffed out her cheeks in a pout.

"I've been stuck on Tenroujima for years! I wanna experience the new world outside of it!" She shouted as the Fairy Tail members in the arena laughed wryly.

"Well, having the first master looking out for us is kinda reassuring..." Gray said as the other sweat dropped at his statement.

The seventh place team, Team Quatro Cerberus, arrive on the field followed shortly by the all-female guild; sixth place Mermaid Heel. Fifth place in the preliminaries was taken by Blue Pegasus' Trimens and one new member in a bunny suit, whilst fourth place was achieved by Lamia Scale. Among the team members is Sherry's cousin, Chelia. Lyon reminds Gray about their bet regarding Juvia, though Gray angrily claims that no bet was made but also that Fairy Tail will not lose regardless.

"Moving on, coming in third place we have! Oh, now this is a surprise! In third place we have a first time competing guild! The midnight raiders, Raven Tail!" Chapati announced as the crowd cheered them on, though Fairy Tail was confused and concerned.

"W-What? A dark guild?!"Makarov shouted in shock, not believing that his son had established a proper guild.

"Well, according to our official information, Raven Tail existed over seven years ago. But had only been approved as an official guild recently." Chapati reported as the crowd calmed down, the Fairies calming but never losing their tenseness.

"T-That's the thing that tried to attack Wendy and I last night!" Carla shouted as it sneered and laughed at them, their guildmates bristling in anger at the piece of information.

With two more guilds set to arrive the crowd becomes confused as they believed Sabertooth and Lamia Scale to be the two highest ranking guilds. As Erza wonders if this unknown team have anything to do with the dark energy Jellal mentioned, the second team is revealed, shocking the crowd, as it is Fairy Tail B, consisting of Laxus, Mirajane, Gajeel, Juvia and Mystogan. Fairy Tail A are shocked at both Mystogan's appearance and the fact that they believed they were the only Fairy Tail team present. After the crowd expresses shock about the fact that two teams from the same guild arrived, it is explain that each guild could send at least two teams to participate, Lucy noting that this accounts for the large number of teams in the preliminaries.

The commentators talk over whether this gives Fairy Tail an unfair advantage, as they have twice as many participants as the other guilds, however a conclusion is reached that the fact that Fairy Tail managed to get two teams into the finals has earned them such a privilege. It is soon revealed that the mysterious individual is not Mystogan, but Jellal, disguised as his Edolas counterpart. Erza asks him how he managed to get a position on a Fairy Tail team, with him replying that the Master allowed him to come once Jellal told him of his concerns, and though Erza questions his ill following of the Games' rules, Jellal pushes this aside. Mavis too realizes that Jellal isn't actually a member of the guild, but she allows him to compete for Fairy Tail's victory.

"That idiot..." Natsu muttered under his breath as he face palmed, Ultear and Meredy sweat dropping when they saw the reaction of the Dragonslayer.

"Well, I guess he'll be able to pinpoint if any of members of the guilds competing are the cause of it, right?" Meredy asked in an unsure tone, Natsu shaking his head while Ultear laughed wryly.

"I guess he really wants Fairy Tail to win, a lot more then we expected." Ultear said as Natsu sighed as he shook his head, Meredy and Ultear patting him on the back.

"I just hope he doesn't blow his cover." Natsu said as he stared down at Jellal, the bluenette stiffening as he felt the Dragonslayer's gaze.

"Hmm? Something wrong?" Laxus asked, Jellal shaking his head in the negative.

"N-No, just a little worried about people finding out my true identity." Jellal replied as the larger man nodded, seeing as it was an understandable concern.

Erza and Jellal discuss the mysterious Magic, and although Raven Tail has been acting odd, they don't seem to be the source as the Magic has existed previously in the Games, and it is their début year. Soon after, the first place team of the preliminaries, Sabertooth, arrives. All teams present, the program of the tournament is announced, with the first round being an event, followed by a battle. As per the rules, the teams will earn points depending on how they place in the event, and each team may choose one member to compete. In the battles, the sponsors will have a right to choose fighting pairs, the losing fighter earning zero points whilst the winner gets ten; five each in the case of a draw.

The first game is announced to start and each team must choose one member to participate; from Mermaid Heel, Beth is selected while Jäger represents Quatro Cerberus. Nullpudding from Raven Tail goes in, whilst Blue Pegasus sends out Eve. From Sabertooth, Rufus offers to go while Lyon chooses to represent Lamia Scale, causing Gray to step up for Fairy Tail A and subsequently Juvia for Fairy Tail B.

Gray steps up as the eight representatives are called out, and is shocked when a huge city is magicked into the arena, himself becoming separated from the other contestants as they are scattered in the playing field. The rules are that each member must find their opponents and hit them, but nobody knows where the others are. Whoever launches an attack first gains one point and the one who is hit loses one point, thus the game becomes 'hide and seek'. To make matters harder, numerous clones of each contestant will walk around the city to confuse everyone. Attacking a clone will result in a one point deduction. After the rules are explained, the game starts.

As Gray tries to do his best in the game, it becomes apparent that Raven Tail only wants to attack Fairy Tail, as Nullpudding repeatedly goes after Gray, causing Gray's team-mates to question Raven Tail's motives. Later as Gray walks the streets, he becomes entangled in a skirmish with a group of participants, being saved by Juvia, who states that she promised the Master that she would not lose, even to Gray himself. As part of agreeing to be Fairy Tail's B team, the members of the winning Fairy Tail team are allowed to make the members of the losing Fairy Tail team do whatever they want for a day, shocking Gray, who heard of no such rule. Whilst Juvia and Gray discuss this, Nullpudding shows up again and attacks them both, adding an additional two points to his score.

After Eve employs his Magic intelligently to earn some quick points and Lyon also advances the ranks, the players notice that Rufus of Sabertooth hasn't moved at all. He hasn't attacked anyone, nor has he been found. The masked Mage claims that the game is too easy for him and states that he remembers exactly where everyone is and has been as he unleashes his **Memory-Make Magic**, shocking the others, who realize he is using **Molding Magic**. Unleashing his attack, Rufus manages to take out all his opponents, giving him the lead with a single move. The game ends soon after with Sabertooth in the lead and Fairy Tail 'B' and Fairy Tail 'A' in the two last places. As the audience boos Fairy Tail, Gray apologizes and walks off, swearing to get back at Raven Tail and Sabertooth.

"Raven Tail. Creation Mage. I swear, I'll get them back for this." Gray muttered under his breath as he slammed his fist into a nearby wall, crushing the stone.

"Whoa, did you see that? That was some spell!" Meredy said as she admired the performance that Rufus showed.

"As flashy as it was, it was a lot weaker then what I expected from a member of Fiore's number one." Natsu said as he leaned against the wall of the arena, Meredy and Ultear smiling wryly at him.

"But that's only because you're Natsu! Nothing can hurt you!" Meredy pouted as Natsu laughed softy, poking her gently on the forehead.

"Meredy's right though Natsu, I can only name a handful of things that can seriously hurt you." Ultear added in as the pinkette shook his head in a playful manner, making the two women pout.

As they talked and joked around with each other, the guilds who were participating were all gathered together once again. The crowd cheering loudly for their favorites, Fairy Tail's teams were on the receiving end of not so favorable cheers but rather jeers. Ignoring them for the most part, they tensed up when they saw that the next event was about to take place. The sudden reduction in noise caught the attention of Ultear as she turned and got the attention of her guildmates.

"Oh, looks like they're announcing the battles." Ultear said as they turned to look at the arena, Natsu raising a brow when he saw a familiar shade of crimson.

"The first match of day one! Fairy Tail A's Lucy Heartfilia! Vs. Raven Tail's Flare Corona!" Chapati announced as the crowd went wild.

"Me?!" The blonde in question said, sweating a bit as she stared at her competitor.

"Blondie..." Flare said as she stared intently at Lucy, a bit of a crazed glint shining in her eyes.

Still standing in a bit of a dazed state, Lucy was snapped out of it by the cheers of her guildmates. Flinching, she dropped her head a bit as the combined pressure from being the subject of jeers and scrutiny started to overwhelm her. But like before, the cheers of her guildmates brought her out of her stunned state.

"Lucy-san! Show them the result of our training!" Wendy cheered on, pumping her fist out in a cheering manner.

"If we can manage to win here, it'll still be a tie." Erza said in a calm and collected tone, crossing her arms under her chest.

"Oooh! Knock em out Lucy!" Elfman shouted as he had his hand clenched into a tight fist.

Thinking back to the events of the previous day, their attempted attack on Wendy, the way they did everything in their power to get in Gray's way. She began to feel her blood boil as she steeled her resolve. Tightening her hands into fists, she turned to face her guildmates with a determined look on her face as they stared intently at her.

"Leave it to me, I'll definitely win!" She said as a smile broke out on the faces of her friends, all of them nodding at her in encouragement and trust.

Moving to the center of the arena, Lucy and Flare stared at each other, Lucy giving Flare a hard stare while Flare simply retained her slightly crazed look. The crowd growing slightly tense with anticipation, the noise in the area dropped considerably as they continued to stare down the other.

"The battle between Lucy and Flare will last for 30 minutes and if anyone is knocked out within that time, they lose. If the time limit is reached, a draw will be declared." Yajima explained as the teams nodded, knowing that failure to abide by the rules meant disqualification.

Lucy commences the battle by performing a multiple summoning and combining Scorpio and Taurus' attacks whilst the crowd watches in awe. Flare soon responds with her **Hair Magic**, and the two twist and twirl around the ring as Flare grabs Lucy with her hair and Lucy grabs her in return with her **Fleuve d'étoiles**. Flare however soon starts to play dirty by taking Asuka Connell hostage in the stands, threatening to harm the young girl if Lucy attacks her further.

"Don't make a sound. This is an order. I don't know what might happen if you disobey, no matter how much of a dimwitted blonde you are." Flare said in a threatening and crazed tone, Lucy gritting her teeth as she saw the tassel of hair swish back and forth near Asuka.

Up in the shadows of the arena, Meredy and Ultear were getting very worried and nervous when they saw the heat radiating off of Natsu, the air beginning to shimmer. Gulping as they moved to get to a slightly more comfortable distance, they glanced where his attention was located and felt their own anger bubble when they saw Flare's tassel of hair sway ominously near the little girl. Then they remembered that the easiest way to anger the Dragon Slayernext to them was to involve children.

"N-Natsu, c-calm down alright? No matter how dirty they are, they wouldn't stoop so low as to hurt an innocent little girl." Meredy said in an attempt to placate the anger coursing through his veins.

"Meredy's correct Natsu, they wouldn't be that brazen to involve someone as innocent as her." Ultear added, the two managing to calm him down enough to stand near him once again, wincing as they saw the molten slag that used to be stone.

Meanwhile, in another area of the stands, the Knight Squadron Chief Arcadios comments on the battle, stating that the "matured fruit" is ripening, such that it may be completed this year. He tells his Lord Zeref that he should just sit back and wait.

With Asuka as her hostage, Flare forces Lucy to not use Magic, move or say anything at all, lest something unfortunate happens. Remembering what happened to Wendy and Gray, Lucy attempts to forfeit the fight, though Flare stops her by gagging her with her hair. Raising Lucy into the air, Flare decides to brand the mark of Raven Tail over her Fairy Tail mark, despite Lucy's attempts to stop her.

"That's it." Natsu muttered under his breath as he raised his hands and snapped his fingers.

A small sphere of fire formed at the base of the tassel of hair before it imploded, destroying the tassel as Flare gasped, allowing Lucy to summon Gemini and free herself. The Celestial Spirit transforms into Lucy to activate a magic that they had practiced together, the two pooling their energies together to form a spell that Hibiki of Blue Pegasus recognizes instantly: **Urano Metria**. However, before it is cast, the power dissipates, leaving Lucy extremely weakened.

"It... Was erased?" Lucy whispered as she started to sway as the crowd looked on in shock.

"_Obra! It was you!_" Flare realized as he saw the creature flash her a victory sign, a twisted smile on her face.

"What happened!?" Erza shouted as she leaned forward in disbelief.

"The magic, it disappeared!" Elfman added on as he looked at the scene with wide eyes.

"What in the world happened! Lucy's magic didn't activate! Yajima-san, this is!" Chapati shouted as he stood up from his seat, unable to believe what had just occurred.

"..." Yajima stared at the scene with a sharp and slightly cold eye, knowing exactly what had happened as Chapati tried to get his input.

As everyone continued to look on in shock, Lucy finally began to fall to the ground as the eyes of everyone widened. First, there was absolute silence before the crowd erupted into a loud uproar of applause and cheer for the match they had witnessed.

"We didn't even see that redhead try to cancel the magic!" Pantherlily shouted as Happy voiced his own opinions beside him.

"It's assistance from her guildmates." Mavis said in a calm but cold tone, Romeo growing angered at the revelation.

"Those guys are dirty!" Romeo shouted as the other Fairies bristled in anger at the foul play that had just occurred.

"Ivan... Are you hoping for a brawl outside?" Makarov asked in a barely controlled tone, his eyes filled with anger.

"Its... It's my win. Serves you right, take a good look Blondie. Shameful! Unsightly! Pathetic loser! Ahahaha!" Flare cackled as Lucy raised her hand to shield her eyes.

With her statement, Flare caused the crowd to start laughing and booing the downed blonde. Gritting her teeth, Lucy laid there and tried to drown out their jeering as tears began to fall from her eyes. Even with the arrival of Erza and Gray, it did nothing to stop the jeers and boo's of the crowd as they picked up Lucy.

"Oi, don't start crying here Lucy. We've still got a ways until we win this thing remember?" Gray asked as Erza nodded in agreement, the two slinging her arms over their shoulders.

"You were incredible. You've proven to all of us that we are still more then capable of competing in this world." Erza said with a gentle smile on her face, Gray's smile mirroring it.

"What would that flame brain say at a time like this? Probably something about how having zero points makes things more interesting, right? We'll just have to turn the tide now." Gray said as Lucy choked back a sob, nodded as Erza had a small smile on her face.

"Yeah... I'm all fired up." She said in a shaky tone as larger smiles appeared on the faces of the two.

The matches continue with the second being Ren Akatsuki from Blue Pegasus faces Araña Webb from Mermaid Heel, which Ren wins. This is followed by a battle between Warcry of Quatro Cerberus and Orga Nanagear of Sabertooth, Warcry being defeated before being able to use his Magic.[51] The final battle of the day is then declared to be between "Mystogan" from Fairy Tail B and Jura Neekis of Lamia Scale.

"Here we go..." Natsu muttered as he stared at Jellal and Jura, silently praying that he didn't do anything that would cause an scene.

"It's Jellal Natsu, he won't go overboard!" Meredy said to reassure the Dragonslayer, only serving to make him worry a bit more.

"Meredy is correct Natsu, he won't endanger our operation knowing how much is on the line." Ultear added as Natsu sighed, returning his gaze to the arena.

The crowd cheers wildly for Jura as he and Jellal make their way to the center of the arena. Makarov notices that Mavis seems tense, but tells her that Jellal was once a member of the Ten Wizard Saints just like Jura, so their skills should be evenly matched. The battle begins with Jellal sticking to his disguise and employing Mystogan's **Magic Staves** to attack Jura, however the latter's supreme Magic abilities soon begin to outmatch Jellal's need to stay in character.

"Oh no..." Natsu said as he face palmed, Meredy and Ultear beginning to panic as Jellal began to mix in his own magic in addition to Mystogan's.

Annoyed at the thought of losing, Jellal abandons Mystogan's magic and begins to use his own, the two swapping blow after blow with neither seeming to have the advantage. Jellal then decides to go all out and prepares to unleash **True Heavenly Body Magic: Sema**, though before he can, he is knocked out by Meredy and Ultear, the two mages utilizing Meredy's **Sensory Link Magic** to stop Jellal from revealing his identity. Jellal out for the count, Jura is declared the victor.

"That idiot almost did something irreversible." Natsu said as he rested his head against the wall of the arena, patting himself on the chest to ease his racing heart.

"I'm sorry Meredy, it was the only way I could think of that would work." Ultear said in a strangely unapologetic tone, Meredy's eye twitching as she glared at the older woman.

"You liar!" She shouted as she ran into Natsu's arms, the pinkette and Ultear making a noise of surprise at her sudden action.

Laughing when he glanced between them, he patted Meredy on the head as she continued to glare at Ultear. Feeling left out, Ultear frowned and jumped the two, sending all of them crashing to the ground in a tangled mess of limbs and laughter. Then the laughter died when they remembered what Jellal had done, Natsu getting a savage grin while Meredy and Ultear shivered slightly.

Meanwhile, in the infirmary Carla suddenly stiffened up with wide eyes as time slowed to a standstill.

"_The first day of the Grand Magic Games ended. We, of Fairy Tail, had the worst possible beginning, but... At this time, something even worse was already brewing... Several days after the close of the Grand Magic Games... I'll record this here. To my beloved Lucy Heartfilia, from Levy McGarden._"

"W-What? What was that premonition?" Carla whispered to herself as she held her arms, shaking slightly from the ominous tone of the vision.

After their humiliating defeat, the members of Fairy Tail regroup, but are still hopeful that they will be able to make a comeback and start partying. Makarov faces his guild members and encourages them, telling them that they are the Guild that doesn't know the meaning of giving up.

Elsewhere, in the castle of Mercurius, Arcadios has a talk with Fiore's King, asking him if he has any requests concerning the second day fights. The King tells him that he wants to see Sting and Rogue fight, but thinks that they should leave the best for last. He then tells Arcadios to have Bacchus battle 'the one that transforms' from Fairy Tail. The King then dismisses Arcadios who quietly leaves, saying to himself that soon something will be complete.

Concurrently, Cana is approached by a man who challenges her to a drinking contest and manages to best her, making it her first loss. The man then turns to leave, taking Cana's bra as a prize. Macao and Wakaba try to stop him from disgracing their guild mate, but the man easily and effortlessly dodges their attack and strikes back. Erza then arrives and realizes that the man is Bacchus, the Quatro Cerberus S-Class Mage. Bacchus then leaves after telling them that he will be replacing Warcry as one of his guild's representatives. As Bacchus leaves, Erza tells her team mates that they had fought multiple times in the past and no one has yet won, surprising them. Meanwhile, Carla explains her vision to Porlyusica. According to her, she saw a white knight, a magical array and Mercurius crumbling, all with Lucy singing something as it happened.

(Time Skip - A Day Later)

As the second days challenge begins, it is revealed to be an event called Chariot, in which the representative of each team race through Crocus to the Domus Flau atop moving wagons. As the race occurs, Kurohebi from Raven Tail is far ahead in the lead, with the Ichiya in 2nd place, Yuka in 3rd, Risley in 4th and Bacchus in 5th.

"Obra. You know what to do, make sure it's not detectable." Ivan whispered to the creature, getting a nod and a smile from it as Wendy and Gajeel started to feel their magic leave them.

"T-This is..." Gajeel muttered as the motion sickness added with his loss of magic caused him to stumble beside a queasy Wendy.

"I-It's like what happened to Lucy-san..." Wendy said in a pained tone, unable to cast **Troia** as her motion sickness kicked in.

However, while this group nears the finish line, Sting, Gajeel and Wendy still lag near the starting line in 6th, 7th and 8th place respectively, all three Dragon Slayers suffering from severe motion sickness. To try and come first, the participants begin to utilize their Magic, however Bacchus puts his to use most effectively, managing to pass everyone and take first, Kurohebi soon following, with Risley coming in 3rd, Yuka in 4th and Ichiya 5th.

This leaves the Dragon Slayers pathetically competing for 6th and 7th place. Despite feeling completely awful, Wendy and Gajeel persistently push on forward. Sting proceeds to question the Fairy Tail wizards on why they are trying so hard, and Wendy then gives an emotional speech, stating that they are doing it for their guild, who had patiently waited for them. Her speech touches the Fairy Tail members in the audience, and the spectators, causing them to openly cry.

"We'll show you, all of you, that Fairy Tail hasn't failed! That it's kept moving forward! That's why, we'll continue and keep moving forward ourselves!" Wendy shouted as she took another shaky step, panting as her magic refused to return to her.

"Gihee..." Gajeel laughed as he matched her, unwilling to be shown up by the younger mage despite the fact his magic didn't return to him.

"What...?!" Ivan muttered in shock, unable to accept the fact that they were still moving despite his best efforts to keep them down.

With that, the two Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers pushes forward, Wendy earning 6th place whilst Gajeel gets 7th. Sting drops out, earning himself 8th place and his team 0 points, showing disdain towards the young Dragonslayer's explanation as it reminded him of the other Dragon Slayerwho used to reside in their guild.

"Sounds like something you'd say if you were down there Natsu." Meredy said in a somber tone, Natsu simply looking at the two Dragonslayers as they laid down at the end of the track.

"You think?" He said in a slightly mirthful tone, flashing her a small smile as she returned it and leaned against him.

Finishing the event exhausted, Wendy is carried to the infirmary by Lucy, who, leaves to join her team. Porlyusica asks Carla why she didn't tell Lucy of her premonition, to which the Exceed replies saying that she refuses to believe it actually was one, and that it must have been a dream instead. Lucy joins her team, and seeing that Raven Tail's Kurohebi will be fighting Lamia Scale's Toby, prompts her to glance over at Raven Tail, noting sadly that Flare is covered in bruises and being harassed by her team-mate.

The first match commences with Kurohebi receiving the upper-hand of the battle, with his **Mimic Magic**. Toby praises Kurohebi's strength and his name, with Kurohebi stating that it isn't his real name. This comically angers Toby, which prompts him to request that if he were to win, Kurohebi is to tell him his real name, while if Kurohebi wins, Toby will tell him his "super secret". After all is agreed, Toby is promptly defeated, revealing his secret is that he can't find his other sock, which is actually hanging around his neck, stunning the audience. Kurohebi points out Toby's sock, causing Toby to cry in happiness. The Raven Tail representative then holds out his hand, and as Toby reaches out for it Kurohebi grabs the sock instead and tears it, much to the amusement of his team-mates, the Raven Tail Mage stating that the more precious something is to someone, the more he wants to destroy it.

The second match then begins, with Bacchus coming out for Quatro Cerberus. At this point the King arrives and meets with Arcadios, eager to see the match between Bacchus and Erza. However, due to the King's vagueness, Arcadios arranged Fairy Tail A's battle representative to be Elfman Strauss, mistaking him for "the one that transforms". With everyone, including Elfman, doubting Fairy Tail's victory, the two enter the battle field. However, Bacchus decides to make things interesting by asking for his opponents sisters if Quatro Cerberus were to win, infuriating Elfman.

"After all that you said... I'll tear you apart..." Elfman said in a deep and threatening tone, his face unusually angered.

"Ohh? I'm glad we could come to an agreement." Bacchus said in a interested tone as he settled into relaxed stance.

Meanwhile, Natsu left the shadows of the upper arena to patrol the area when he saw a group of men running off with Carla, Wendy and Porlyusica. A small frown marring his face, he moved in the shadows beside them before springing out to surprise them. Freezing slightly, they returned to running only to stop when he appeared in front of them again.

"W-What the hell?" One of them asked as he took a step back, unable to believe the speed that Natsu possessed.

"Leave it to me!" Another shouted as he drew a pair of revolvers, only to be silenced when Natsu grabbed him by the face and slammed him into the ground.

The others shaking in fear at the speed and strength they just witnessed stood frozen as Natsu stalked his way over to them. Their legs shaking heavily, they fell to their knees as he stood over them like a tyrant or king, the air heavy and thick as an oppressive aura made it hard to take in breaths of air. Reaching over, he gently picked up the three who were kidnapped and moved them to the side before moving in front of the trio once more. Then, in a swift motion, knocked all of them out before tying them up. Sighing, he picked up the unconscious three and moved them near the wall along with the kidnappers.

Meanwhile, down at the arena, the battle has already started, with Elfman being thoroughly hammered. At this point, Erza reveals that Bacchus's strength isn't his Magic (which simply focuses Magic Power into the palm of his hands), but his mastery over the martial arts. Furthermore, as Bacchus hasn't taken a drop of alcohol since the fight started, he has even begun to fight at full strength yet.

"So that means..." Lucy said as the realization dawned on her, causing her to turn stare in a worried manner at her teammate.

"He's not even trying at all." Gray finished as Erza nodded, a serious look in her eyes.

After Elfman is struck down again, he struggles up again and states the term for his wager, saying that if he wins, Quatro Cerberus is to be renamed Quatro Puppy for the rest of the tournament, shocking the rest of Quatro Cerberus. Bacchus accepts, and deciding to take things seriously, takes a swig from his gourd. Elfman transforms again as Bacchus advances, and in an instant, the Drunken Falcon lands several blows. However, he then notices that his hands are damaged, and turns to see Elfman's new transformation, **Beast Soul: Lizardman**, is covered in spiked scales, making him virtually untouchable for hand-to-hand combatants.

"Heh, if I can't hit you, I'll just have you hit me..." Elfman said in a pained but confident tone, the entirety of the stadium looking on in confusion.

"Bring it! Come on! Your hands or my body! Whichever breaks first determines the winner!" He shouted as Bacchus stared at him with a stunned smile.

"What's wrong?!" Elfman shouted as Bacchus' stunned smile became a grin in return to the challenge.

"Haha! You're an interesting guy! My soul is shaking! Bring it!" Bacchus shouted as unleashed a heavy assault of palm strikes.

"This! This is sublime! Rather then a simple battle, this is a clash of will!" Chapati shouted as he once again rose from his seat, the crowd growing quiet as they matched the exchange.

"Will it end first for the attacker?! Or will it be the defender!? Who will be the victor!" He shouted as the two stood in front of each other, Elfman having lost his transformation.

"You were called... Elfman right...?" Bacchus asked as Elfman fell to his knees, the two panting heavily as silence dominated the stadium.

"Haha... HAHAHA!" Bacchus laughed to the heavens as he raised his arms above his head in victory, the entirety of the stadium looking on in shock.

"The one that stands is Bacchus!" Chapati shouted as the entire stadium roared with cheer and applause, the Fairies cursing their defeat.

"You know, you... Are a man!" Bacchus announced as he fell over unconscious as the crowd lost its cheers and applause and opted to look on in shock.

"D-Down! Bacchus is down! The victor is Elfman! Fairy Tail A receives ten points! That makes their total score twelve!" Chapati announced as the crowd went wild once again, cheering on Elfman and the battle that had just occurred.

"OOOOH!" Elfman roared as he lifted his head and arms up in victory, the guild grinning widely at his actions.

"Is this cry the beacon of Fairy Tail's rebirth?! Elfman! A spectacular victory over a powerful opponent!" Chapati announced as the cheers only increasing in volume.

At the top of the stadium, the kidnappers have been captured, and kidnapped awakened. The kidnappers are taken into custody, but not before claiming that Raven Tail were the one who requested them to retrieve "the girl from the sick bay". Porlyusica, Wendy and Carla believe that they weren't even the intended target, and that it was actually supposed to be Lucy. This is proven to be correct as Arcadios meets the ones responsible, angry that his plan failed and wanting to capture Lucy for Zeref's Eclipse Plan.

It is later revealed that the damage Elfman received during his battle against Bacchus wasn't enough to incapacitate him, but would cause him to perform less then efficiently. To make sure the kidnapping doesn't repeat itself, the Thunder God Tribe volunteer to guard the infirmary. As they leave, the group ponder why someone would need Lucy, but decide to put this off and instead cheer for Mirajane, who is fighting Blue Pegasus reserve member Jenny Realight.

However, due to a special rule, the "battle" turns out to be a swimsuit contests, with the commentators acting as judges and the participants using **Transformation** to change their clothing. As the "match" continues, Jenny decides to wager that whomever loses is to take part in a nude photo shoot for Sorcerer Magazine, which Mirajane agrees to. Jenny, thinking that she's won, transforms into her **Battle Form**. However, Mirajane also decides to take the battle seriously, using Take Over to change into **Satan Soul: Sitri**, ending the battle in a single hit and earning her team 10 points. Meanwhile, elsewhere, Fiore's Minister of Defense, Darton confronts Arcadios and inquires why he's after a Celestial Spirit Mage prematurely, to which Arcadios reveals that the "Plan" has already reached its final stage, and that he would be willing to sacrifice Lucy for the sake of the "Eclipse".

The last battle of the day takes place between Sabertooth's Yukino Aguria and Mermaid Heel's Kagura Mikazuchi. Entering the field, Yukino inquires if, as in the previous matches, they can make a wager, in which the two women surprise everyone by choosing to wager their lives. Kagura agrees and the battle commences with Yukino employing her Celestial Spirit Magic to take Kagura out, however Kagura strategically uses her Magic to continuously evade the attacks.

This forces Yukino to use the 13th Key, Ophiuchus, however Kagura uses her sword Archenemy to slice up the giant snake length-wise, and then, without even drawing her blade, defeat Yukino too. This earns 10 points for Mermaid Heel and, according to their bet, puts Yukino's life in Kagura's hands. It also upsets and shocks everybody, especially the members of Sabertooth. However, Arcadios is seen trembling with excitement at the revelation of a second Celestial Spirit Mage in the games.

With the day's events having ended, Erza meets up with Jellal to discuss the fact that they have yet to feel the curious Magic Power that he has felt at the previous games. After Jellal explains his theories, he decides to investigate further and leaves. As Erza walks back to join her team for the after-games celebrations the hooded girl from Mermaid Heel catches up with her and reveals herself to be Millianna, Erza's old friend from the Tower of Heaven, the two hugging and crying at their reunion.

Meanwhile, at the lodgings of Sabertooth in Crocus, Sabertooth's guild master, Jiemma, gathers his subordinates and preaches about strength. After letting Sting off with a warning about his failure, he turns his attention to Yukino and starts to express his anger at her loss at Kagura's hands. Stating that he is disgusted, Jiemma forces Yukino to strip and remove her guild mark, excommunicating her.

Later, Wendy, Lucy, Happy and Carla head to Honey Bone after finishing dinner, when Wendy and Natsu spot someone standing outside their lodging, the person being Yukino. Elsewhere, Erza sits with Millianna in a park, and the two talk about Kagura. Millianna starts explaining about the sword Archenemy and how both she and Kagura were geared towards having revenge upon Jellal, which troubles Erza.

Back at Honey Bone, the group heads inside to talk with Yukino, who offers Lucy the Libra and Pisces keys, telling the group she was planning to give them to Lucy after the Games, but as she is now not participating, wishes to hand them over now. She also mentions she wasn't part of the "Strongest 5" of Sabertooth, merely filling in for someone named Minerva, who was away on a job. She also states that once Lucy has the 12 Golden Key, the "Gateway That Changes The World" will be opened. When Lucy questions this, Yukino cites that it is an old legend she not sure of herself. Despite Yukino's offer, Lucy politely refuses, saying that she doesn't want to cut the Spirit's bonds to Yukino. Yukino understands and hopes they'll meet again before leaving.

While outside of the lodge, Yukino sighs as she made her way back to her own lodging. When she arrived, she was subjected to ridicule and jeers from the Sabertooth mages as she packed up her belonging to move to a different inn for the rest of the games. Once she gathered her things and headed out of the building, she was followed by the more prideful Sabertooth members as they surrounded her, intent on making her regret damaging their guild's pride.

"Even though you were just a replacement, you shouldn't have lost to anyone!" One of them shouted as she shoved her, the young lady losing her footing and falling onto her bottom.

"Kuh!" She winced as she felt her ankle bend at an unnatural angle as they sneered at her.

"Look at that? A pathetic mage staying where they belong, in the dirt. Ahaha!" Another jeered before laughing at her, Yukino doing her best to hold back her tears as they gathered around and continued to laugh and belittle her.

"Oi, why don't we just get this over with? I've seen enough of her face." The final one said as the others nodded, moving towards the downed mage as she raised her arms to defend herself.

Expecting more pain, she flinched when she felt the temperature of the area skyrocket. Feeling her sweat evaporate upon contact with the air itself, she managed to peek out of one of her eyes and proceeded to widen it when she saw a cloaked figure holding two of the Sabertooth mages by their heads while the other was imbedded in the ground. Scoffing, they dropped the two before turning and looking down at Yukino. Feeling an oppressive amount of magical power from him, she could only stare at him with wide eye as he slowly strode over. Expecting the worst, she snapped her eyes shut but slowly opened them when she felt herself being lifted up.

"W-What are you doing!?" She squeaked, half in shock and half in embarrassment as she felt their arms on her legs and back.

"I don't think you can walk." They said in a low tone, making her shiver slightly both by how handsome they sounded and by the power their voice carried.

About to protest, her words died in her mouth when she tried to move her foot, wincing as she felt pain race up her leg. Sighing, she nodded slowly as he shifted her to one arm while collecting her luggage with the other. A little stunned by his show of strength, she was in a bit of a daze until he snapped her out of it.

"Where were you going?" He asked as she blinked in surprise, forgetting her original objective.

"O-Oh, I d-don't know exactly. I can't stay in my original lodging anymore so I was looking for someplace else to stay." Yukino said in a quiet tone, the hooded figure mulling over her words for a few seconds before nodding and heading towards the lodging district.

Walking in absolute silence, she was beginning to feel a bit strange in the company of the person who saved and was helping her. Her cheeks tinted a bit pink, she shook her head to rid herself of any impure thoughts as they rounded a corner. Approaching the other inns, she was a little depressed when she saw that they were all occupied. Sighing, she was about to ask him to just set her down and leave her alone but he continued towards a plain looking building. Entering, she was a little stunned to see that it was in fact an inn as well.

"You should be able to stay here, this place isn't known by many people." He said as he set her down in one of the chairs before wrapping up her ankle in a quick manner, getting her to blush when she felt him holding her foot.

"T-Thank you..." She whispered in a slightly dazed manner, the hooded figure nodding before heading out of the inn.

When he exited the inn, Natsu returned to the shadows as he observed the guards that were patrolling the streets. Nodding his head as he didn't trip off any alarms while escorting Yukino, he relaxed before resuming his own patrol. Getting a bit tense when he felt a familiar but different magical power appear and vanish. Turning his head, he tried to sense it once more but when he failed to do so, he opted to return and report to the others.

(Time Skip - The Next Day)

Day three of the Games arrives and, at the Domus Flau, the Grand Magic Games continue with Lahar the day's guest judge. In the crowd is also Doranbolt, who Lahar brought along to purposely see Fairy Tail. The third event is introduced as "Pandemonium", and the teams all pick their participating members. Erza goes out for Fairy Tail A, whilst Cana Alberona volunteers for Fairy Tail B, much to her team-mates surprise when they notice that Jellal is gone. Cana, however, states that it's likely he doesn't wish to participate with a Magic Council official around.

The players gathered, Mato shows everyone Pandemonium; a giant building where monsters live. He explains that the monsters inside are classed from D to S, the D-class being quite formidable, whilst the S-class can even rival that of a Wizard Saint. The rules of the game are simple, each competitor will go in one by one and fight a number of monsters for points. They can select how many monsters they wish to face, but are warned that what level of monster they get will be randomized. When ask what happens when they lose, the judge states that their previous victories will still be counted, but they will be out of the event. The game will go on until all 100 monsters are defeated or everyone's Magic Power runs out. Holding out a box, the competitors all draw lots for their turns.

"Number one." Erza said as Cana laughed wryly behind her, lamenting the fact she drew last.

"You're lucky Erza, it'll go back to your turn the most." She said as she patted the redhead on the back.

"I was thinking that this competition would all come down to the luck of the draw..." Erza said as Mato sweat dropped at her statement.

"The luck of the draw? No, how should I put this. It's a game where maintaining your pace and situational judgment are more important then just the order of battle!" Mato said as Erza smirked at his answer.

"No... With this, it's not longer just a game." She said as her smirk changed to a small smile, confusing the others.

"All one hundred will be my opponents. My challenge right will be one hundred." She said as everyone looked on in utter and complete shock at her statement.

"T-That's impossible! It's not set up so that one person could possibly defeat them all!" Mato shouted as Erza entered building, the Fairies losing their look of shock and replacing it with a look of awe, respect and fondness.

"_The Grand Magic Games, Day Three, Pandemonium. I think I'll never forget the events of this day. As she becomes covered in wounds, the fairy that should have fallen to earth dances. Here is Titania. Almost like..._"

"A scarlet flower, blooming fully with pride." Natsu whispered as a small and fond smile appeared on his face as he looked at the battered, bloody but proud form of Erza, who had her sword raised high.

"U-U-Unbelievable! Someone, by a single person! All one hundred monsters have been defeated! I-Is this the true strength of the guild said to be the strongest seven years ago!" Chapati shouted with complete and utter shock and awe, his tone reflected among the crowd as they all looked on in equal parts shock and awe.

"A-Amazing!"

"What is she?!"

"I... I remember...

"She's Fairy Tail's strongest female mage!"

"Titania! Erza Scarlet!"

The crowd going completely wild over the unprecedented and overwhelming victory, they began to recall the memories and stories that the guild held. The pride, power and passion that the mages of Fiore's former strongest guild possessed in the past.

"I give up..." Yajima said in a jovial tone, a large smile on his face as he leaned his head back, unable to believe that once again, Fairy Tail surprised him to this extent.

"I don't have any words..." Lahar said with a sigh, shaking his head as he still tried to comprehend what had just happened.

"Erza!" Her friends and guildmates shouted as they raced towards her, tears and wide smiles on their faces as they moved to help and congratulate her.

"As expected, that was amazing!" Gray said as he moved to help her to the infirmary.

"I was so touched Erza..." Lucy said as she wiped her tears away, moving to aid Gray in helping the redhead.

"I... My chest feels like it's going to burst..." Wendy said as she wiped away her tears before starting to heal Erza using her magic.

With Erza defeating all the monsters, the judges get the remaining participants to take part in an event called MPF, in which the competitors are to attack a Magic Power Finder, a device which will record and display the level of Magic used, the ranks after Erza determined by the number each player obtains. The competitors then continue in the order of the lots they took previously, Millianna getting a fairly nice score whilst Nobarly of Quatro Cerberus and Hibiki of Blue Pegasus fail miserably. Orga and Jura then step up, both scoring in the thousands and greatly shocking the audience, though not as much as Obra, who scores a mere four on request from his team, as they do not want his Magic to be revealed. Finally comes Cana, who shocks all in Fairy Tail after removing her long sleeve coat to reveal a familiar tattoo on her right forearm.

"Well then, I'm going to strike!" Cana said with a vicious smile on her face, raising her arm as Makarov blanched.

"That mark!" Carla said as she recognized it from Tenroujima, Happy and Pantherlily also making a noise of surprise when they saw it.

"It... It couldn't be..." Makarov said as he turned to face Mavis, the blonde smiling at him.

I lent it to her specially for this. In order to win!" She said with shining eyes, Makarov paling in response to her reason.

"Gather! O river of light that's guided by the fairies!" Cana began, raising her arm as the dust at her feet was blown away by the magical power she was exerting.

"Her latent magical power is high, so there's no doubt that she'll be able to use it." Mavis said in a confident and sure tone and Makarov nodded stiffly.

"Shine! In order to perish the fangs of evil!" She continued as everyone felt a sudden spike in her magical power as she brought her arm down.

"**Fairy Glitter**!" She shouted as an brilliant tower of light consumed the MPF, shocking everyone as they were temporarily blinded by the spell.

As the dust settled and the light vanished, everyone could only gape at what the reading was. Trumping even Jura's score, Cana had maxed out and destroyed the MPF to the shock of everyone present.

"W-What's this?! The MPF broke... She maxed it out! W-What, just what is this guild!? It's a one-two finish for the competition portion! Nobody can stop Fairy Tail now!" Chapati shouted as the crowd went wild with cheer.

"We're unstoppable! We're Fairy Tail of course!" Cana shouted as she raised her arms in victory, her guildmates and the newly established Fairy Tail cheering section roaring with cheer and applause.

As Fairy Tail celebrates getting the top two places, Raven Tail has somehow managed to get their hands on the match-ups for the battle portions, Alexei stating that it's time for them to carry out their true mission.

The games soon move into the battle portions, Millianna defeating Semmes of Quatro Puppy, whilst Eve of Blue Pegasus is beaten by Rufus Lore. As the Trimens express their disappointment at Eve's loss, Ichiya claims they still have a secret weapon: the bunny suited member, the identity of whom not even Ren and Hibiki were not told of. The third match soon starts with Laxus against Raven Tail's Alexei. As they take the field, Fairy Tail reveals that they have set up lookouts across the coliseum to make sure Raven Tail doesn't pull anything again. Even Yajima is helping with the watch, warning Lahar to stop the fight if anything seems suspicious.

The battle starts with Alexei surprisingly trouncing Laxus. However, unbeknownst to them, the whole fight is an illusion, as the real Laxus and Alexei hadn't even traded blows yet. Laxus demands to know what's going on, with Alexei stating that he created an illusion so they could talk in private. Laxus isn't amused and prepares to take him on, but the rest of the Raven Tail members suddenly show up flanking their leader. Alexei then unmasks himself to be Ivan Dreyar, though Laxus had long since suspected this due to his underhanded methods. After greeting his son, Ivan asks for the location Lumen Histoire, thinking that Makarov told his grandson. Laxus however is ignorant of such an artifact and states that even if he did know, he wouldn't reveal anything about it. Claiming that he'll take them all on, Ivan and the rest of Raven Tail likewise prepare to attack, with Ivan claiming that they're the anti-Fairy guild.

Laxus informs his father that Makarov already has detailed information on Raven Tail, and Ivan correctly guesses that Gajeel was a double agent. Laxus goes on to say that his grandfather never made a move to stop Raven Tail, partly because they haven't tried to harm Fairy Tail, partly because there has been no leak in the sensitive information that Ivan knew, and partly because the old man wished to believe in his son. Angered, Ivan begins the attack, but Laxus surprises all there by powerfully managing to defeat all four of Ivan's guild members without receiving any damage. Turning to take out Ivan, Laxus is disgusted when Ivan tries to stop him by saying that they're family. Laxus proudly states that Fairy Tail is his family, and that he will destroy any enemy of the guild. He then punches his father, at the same time breaking the illusion, and revealing to the stadium the aftermath of the true battle, shocking and confusing nearly everyone.

Fairy Tail cheers at Laxus's victory, and as Laxus walks off the field, Ivan admits his defeat, but warns Laxus about Lumen Histoire, the dark side of Fairy Tail. Raven Tail is taken into custody, though Obra's 'black imp' escapes, and the audience is told that the guild has been disqualified with Raven Tail's 'participation rights' having been revoked for the next 3 years. Moving along though, the next match is announced, to be between Wendy and Chelia Blendy from Lamia Scale. However, Mavis feels something strange about Chelia's power and, simultaneously, Crime Sorcière suddenly detected what feels like Zeref's Magic.

"Hm!" Jellal sounded as his head snapped up and turned towards the source of the magic.

"This magical power..." Meredy said as she glanced at Ultear, the older woman facing the direction it originated from.

"Zeref..." She whispered as concerned look on her face, her eyes wide as Meredy began to feel a bit scared herself.

"There it is..." Natsu whispered as he turned towards the source of the magic and proceeded to head towards it.

"_Ultear, Meredy, Natsu! Stay on standby! Don't move an inch!_" Ordered over the communications lacrima, the three over the line nodding as they followed his orders.

The battle soon begins with Wendy going on the offensive against Chelia, the other young girl revealing that she has a similar Magic to Wendy. As the girls exchange blows with Chelia seeing to have the upper hand, those watching soon realize that Chelia's Magic is that of a Sky God Slayer. As the two continue to clash, Wendy gathers all of her Magic Power and unleashes the spell **Secret Dragon Slayer Technique: Shattering Light: Sky Drill**, seeming to finally knock out Chelia. However, as Mato begins to declare Wendy the winner, Chelia suddenly gets to her feet with all of her wounds healed, revealing that she, unlike Wendy, can heal herself.

From the stands, Doranbolt watches the fight with a worried expression, though he is not as tense as Jellal, the blue haired Mage through the crowd, trying to find the source of the malicious Magic Power, wondering if it is connected to Chelia. However, Doranbolt spots him, and, wondering what Mystogan could possibly be doing in Earth Land, pursues him.

On the field, Chelia offers to let Wendy surrender, but Wendy refuses, stating that she's fighting for her guild. Seeing that she won't back down, Chelia prepares her strongest attack: **Sky God's Secret Arts: Heavenly Gathering of Clouds**. Just as it looks to hit, the attack suddenly veers off, just barely missing Wendy. It is then revealed that Wendy used her Magic to enhance Chelia's physical strength, causing her to over-attack and miss. Now on even terms, both girls get into a hand-to-hand fight, neither letting up. Eventually, the time runs out and the match ends in a tie, giving both teams five points.

As those in the stand compliment Wendy's strength, Chelia heals Wendy and offers her friendship, which Wendy accepts. With that, the third day of the games ends. Jellal realizes that Chelia isn't connected with Zeref as he still feels the evil Magic moving. He chases it through the crowd, managing to locate the person trying to leave the stadium. Before he can reach the person in question however, Doranbolt gets in his way, stopping him and demanding Jellal reveal who he is. If the situation wasn't bad enough, Lahar and his Rune Knights come up from behind, trapping Jellal in between two of the Magic Council members.

"Who are you? I know you're not Mystogan, so who are you?" Doranbolt asks as Jellal tenses, his eyes wide as the crowd turns to see what the commotion is about.

"I'm sorry, I'm in a hurry." Jellal said in a rushed tone, moving past the man only for Doranbolt to swipe at his mask, removing it as the knight's eyes widened.

"Jellal!?" They all shouted as his identity was exposed for all to see.

But before things could get any more tense, the sound of footsteps caught the attention of a few members of the crowd.

"Oh, so you were in such a place? Mystogan-kun?" Yajima asked, getting the attention of everyone present as they stared at Jellal.

Yajima tries to convince the Magic Council members that Jellal was actually his Edolas counterpart. Seeing an ex-Magic Council elder vouching for 'Mystogan', they let the Mage go, with Jellal claiming that if he sees the "real Jellal", he will tell them. However, as they walk away, Lahar pulls Doranbolt aside and voices his suspicion that 'Mystogan' is the real Jellal. As the fugitive walks out of the stadium, he finds that the source of the evil Magic has managed to get away, much to his annoyance.

However, during Jellal's transaction with the Magic Council members, his face is seen by Kagura, who collapses at the sight of him. The other Team Mermaid Heel members, concerned for her health, start calling for a doctor. As Millianna also looks for a doctor, she too sees Jellal, and nearly attacks him in her rage. After claiming to be fine, Kagura gets up and walks away, all the while thinking how the target for her revenge was so close, Millianna wondering why Fairy Tail was hiding him and how Erza could allow it.

Elsewhere, Makarov and Laxus sit together as the Lightning Dragon Slayer inquires about the Lumen Histoire and how Ivan stated that it was 'Fairy Tail's darkness'. When Makarov seems reluctant to answer, Mavis comes forth and claims that it is the opposite. Asking Laxus to understand that it is a secret that only the Guild Master can know about, the young man says he won't ask any more if it is not something suspicious. The former and current Guild Master then contemplate and conclude that Ivan must have learnt about it from Precht, Mavis beginning to cry over her poor successor choice.

Meanwhile, at Bar Sun, the rest of the Guild celebrates day 3's success. Wendy is slightly depressed that she was unable to win in her fight, but Carla, Pantherlily and Levy encourage her. Someone then starts a game of wine barrel surfing, the rest of the guild joining in. In the meantime, at Crocus Gardens, Sting tells Lector that he believes he will be fighting Gajeel the next day, expressing his enthusiasm. Elsewhere, Yukino apologizes for dropping in unannounced while saluting to an unseen sergeant.

A few of the guilds partaking in the games head to a nearby water park called Ryuzetsu Land, where they split up and enjoy what the park has to offer. Meanwhile, the members of Crime Sorcière are all gathered in an unknown area, discussing what they had found during the course of the day.

"So whoever it was got away huh?" Natsu asked as he leaned against the wall, Jellal nodding his head in affirmation at the statement.

"Yeah, if I had been a little faster and if the Knights didn't get involved, I would have been able to catch them." He lamented, squeezing his fists tightly only to slacken them when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, what's done is done Jellal. We'll get them next time, only this time, why not let us in on the fun too?" Natsu said with a small smile on his face, Jellal's eyes widening for a moment before closing as a smile made it to his face.

"Natsu's right Jellal! You had us on standby when we could have been helping!" Meredy protested, making the bluenette laugh softly, getting a smile from the other three.

"Like Natsu said, we'll catch them next time. No need to beat yourself up over what could have been." Ultear added in as he nodded, the group finally settling in for the night.

(Time Skip - The Next Day)

Day Four of the Grand Magic Games begins with the event Naval Battle, in which a participant of each team is to enter a large water sphere, and try to push the other players out. With that being said, when two participants are left in the sphere, a five minute timer will start, and whoever is knocked out within the time limit automatically gets last place. After Rabian is introduced as day four's guest judge, the teams then send out their representatives. The game begins and Lucy starts off by summoning Aquarius. However, Juvia manages to counter Aquarius's attack with **Water Cyclone**. Using the confusion from the collision of the attack, Jenny manages to kick Rocker out of the sphere, eliminating Quatro Puppy. Aquarius then disappears on Lucy claiming that she had to get back to her date, giving Juvia the opportunity to propel the Celestial Spirit Mage out.

However, Lucy manages to summon Virgo and Aries just in time to stop her from falling out of the sphere. Juvia then unleashes a powerful attack which expels all the remaining players from the sphere, except for Lucy and Minerva. Juvia then glances at Gray to see what he thought of the attack she named in his honor, but is shocked when he appears appalled. She is then confused to suddenly find herself outside the sphere, due to Minerva's power. With only two remaining, the five minute timer starts, and with that, Minerva attacks, first with a heat attack to Lucy's right, and the a weighted attack from above. Lucy tries to counter but finds her keys were no longer at her hips, but in her opponents hands. Over and over Minerva continues to attack Lucy, who refuses to give up. However, instead of letting Lucy fall from the ring, Minerva continuously brings her back to attack again and again. Eventually the umpires call the event to an end, but by this stage Lucy is already bleeding, burnt and barely conscious, Minerva holding the immobile Lucy by her throat like a trophy outside of the water sphere.

Happy and Gray rush to Lucy's aid as Minerva carelessly drops her. They just barely manage to catch her before she hits the ground and a medical team is called out, though Wendy declares that she'll give her medical attention first, with Chelia and Jenny helping out. Gray nearly goes to attack Minerva, but Sting, Rufus and Orga suddenly appear in between them, while Erza likewise holds them back as both teams come to a tense standoff. Erza tells the Sabertooth members that she doesn't care if they're the strongest or the number one guild in Fiore, declaring that they've made a major mistake of intentionally making enemies of Fairy Tail.

Lucy is taken the medical ward where she is healed and patched up thanks to the efforts of Wendy, Chelia and Porlyusica. As Lucy sleeps with her keys by her heart, Makarov enters the room to deliver some news. Due to the disqualification of Raven Tail, the games committee can't pair up the fighters of the battle portions due to the odd number of teams, thus Fairy Tail must merge into one team for the rest of the competition. When asked about the points both teams received, it was decided that only A points would be used, which means Fairy Tail is in a tie for third place with Mermaid Heel and Lamia Scale. Gray then says that with only the Tag Battle coming up, there seems to be little point, but Porlyusica explains that after a day's break, the last day will have a game where all five members can compete at once, so the new team needs to be chosen carefully.

After some time, the match ups for the tag battle are brought up with Blue Pegasus vs Quatro Puppy, Lamia Scale vs. Mermaid Heel and Fairy Tail against Sabertooth. Fairy Tail reorganizes their team-mates and step out onto the field for the battle portions, with the new members being Mirajane, Gray, Gajeel, Erza and Laxus. In contrast to their status of the first day's event where they were booed, the audience now fully supports the guild and cheer for the new Fairy Tail. Watching this in the balcony above, Arcadios and Darton realize that Lucy isn't on the team, Arcadios declaring he has a new plan for claiming her. Darton, however, starts having second thoughts.

After Arcadios leaves, Darton thinks to himself that once upon a time, the Grand Magic Games once went by another name. He goes over to a mural on the wall depicting a Dragon fighting a Mage, before mentioning that the games were once called The Dragon King Festival, which was a banquet of Dragons, humans and demons.

The first tag battle starts with Team Blue Pegasus's Ichiya and the mysterious rabbit-costumed man up against Team Quatro Puppy's Bacchus and Rocker. As the battle starts, Ichiya tells the rabbit costumed person to reveal himself, much to everyone's anticipation. When the mask comes off, it is revealed to be the Exceed from Extalia and Ichiya's Edolas counterpart, Nichiya, stunning everybody. As the two Blue Pegasus participants start reminiscing about their first meeting, Bacchus charges forward, landing a devastating hit on Nichiya, and knocking him out. With that, the battle becomes 2 on 1, and, as Ichiya is knocked around by his opponents, he laments on how he dragged a weak person like Nichiya into this. With that, Ichiya 'dedicates' a **Power Perfume** to Nichiya, bulks up, and defeats Quatro Puppy in one hit. With Blue Pegasus's victory decided for the first battle, the next battle is between Team Lamia Scale's Lyon and Yuka and Team Mermaid Heel's Kagura and Millianna, both teams fighting their best, but neither coming out on top, the fight ending in a draw and 5 points each.

The second fight over, Chapati Lola excitedly announces the last tag battle to be between Team Fairy Tail's Laxus and Gajeel and Team Sabertooth's Sting and Rogue Cheney. As the battle is about to start, Metalicana observes, wanting to see if the pupils that Weisslogia and Skiadrum raised have really surpassed Dragons, or if it was just an empty dream; he comments that with the Dragon King Festival approaching, it will soon be time for them to take action. As the four Dragon Slayers stare each other down, Chapati announces the start of the third and final Tag Battle of the day.

The Tag Battle starts, with most of the Fairy Tail members supporting their own Dragon Slayers, while Jiemma is confident in Sabertooth's own victory. However as soon as the gong rings, Sting and Rogue find themselves face to face with Laxus and Gajeel respectively, the two Sabertooth Mages seemingly getting a real beating in the first few minutes of the match. Frosch, Lector, Chapati Lola and the audience are stunned to see Sabertooth's Dragon Slayers being pushed around so easily.

When Gajeel questions whether they really managed to defeat their Dragon parents with this level of power, Sting claims that they did and that they'll now show them the power to defeat Dragons. With that, Sting and Rogue activate **White Drive** and **Shadow Drive** respectively, and finally go on the offensive, the two managing to land a series of sharp blows and seemingly getting the upper hand before Laxus and Gajeel once again begin to step up and push them back. As Chapati and the audience watch with growing surprise and confusion as Rogue and Sting are once again starting to be overpowered, Chapati asks Yajima what he thinks is going on, to which the ex-Magic Council member states that the Twin Dragons are simply outmatched. As the Sabertooth Dragon Slayers struggle to get up, they then surprise their opponents (as well as Jellal and the Fairy Tail Guild Masters) by activating **Dragon Force** by themselves.

Sting then tells his tag partner to stand back, as he can defeat both the Fairy Tail Mages by himself, causing Gajeel to think they are being underestimated, though Laxus gets the feeling that Sting is more then he appears. Sting then starts his onslaught, managing to attack both Laxus and Gajeel at the same time. After unleashing one of his most powerful attacks, Sting destroys the battlefield and sends the participants plummeting into a mine below ground. As they fall, the Lacrima-vision comes on for the audience, just in time to see Laxus managing to get footing on a piece of rubble to perform a **Raging Bolt** on Sting, which Gajeel immediately follows up with a close ranged **Iron Dragon's Roar**. However, Sting easily stands back up after the Fairy Tail's Mages assault and hits them both with **Holy Ray**.

Laxus stumbles, but gets back up in time to block a punch from Sting. As the White Dragon continues his relentless assault on two, the Fairy Tail Mages in the audience begins to feel worry at the one sided fight against their Guild's own Dragon Slayers. Remembering a promise he made to Lector to surpass all those he faced, Sting knocks Laxus and Gajeel to the ground, the two not moving to get up. Seeing this, the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth cancel their Dragon Force, believing they are the victors whilst Chapati questions if the battle will end like this. However, all are proven wrong when Natsu and Gajeel suddenly get back to their feet, revealing that they took Sting's attacks so as to study his habits, which the Sabertooth Mage doesn't seem to believe. As Laxus and Gajeel get into an argument over Sting's abilities, the Lightning Dragon Slayer shoves the Iron Dragon Slayer into an old mining cart, sending it rolling and declaring he can defeat Sting and Rogue alone. Laxus then invites the Twin Dragons to both attack him, as payback for underestimating Fairy Tail, much to the Sabertooth Mages shock.

At this point, a dark-robed figure in the crowd starts to cry, and Crime Sorcière suddenly notice the suspicious Magic once more, with Jellal instantly pursuing it. In the catacombs below the arena, Sting is insulted by Laxus' taunt re-entering his **Dragon Force** to attack again, claiming to have killed Weisslogia with his power; Laxus responds saying that he will use his own power to fight for his guild, punching right back. Rogue then enters **Dragon Force** and attacks, the two not managing to get an edge, and eventually resorting to a **Unison Raid**. However, Laxus counters this with his **Lightning Dragon's Roar**, the meeting of the two attacks causing a large explosion. As the dust clears, the Twin Dragons collapse, silently acknowledging Laxus' strength and Team Fairy Tail's win. Earning 10 points, Team Fairy Tail moves to first place in the Games.

"And that's why you shouldn't look down on Fairy Tail." Laxus said, putting his hands back into his pockets before moving off of the stage.

"_To think... A fake Dragon Slayer beat us..._" Rogue thought as he fell face first into the ground.

"_Lector... Laxus-san is just too strong..._" Sting thought as he mirrored his partner's action, falling face first to the ground as well.

"Th-Th-Th-This is... Fairy Tail! Laxus, Laxus alone beat the Two Dragons!" Chapati shouted as the crowd went wild, unable to believe what had just happened.

As Fairy Tail celebrates their victory, Chapati explains that tomorrow will be a break day, the sixth day of the Games beginning the day after, the event being a survival game involving all the team members. While the Exceed's of Sabertooth are upset with the days outcomes, the members of Team Sabertooth seem to be excited, though Jiemma's rage is obvious, the audience around him running away in fear. Rogue thinks about how much he overestimated himself, especially if Gajeel is as strong as Laxus. Meanwhile, the cart carrying Gajeel finally comes to a stop, the Iron Dragon Slayer promising to kill Laxus for what he did. As he looks around he is then shocked to stumble upon a Dragon's Graveyard under the Domus Flau.

With the day ending, Jellal closes in on the mysterious person, while at Mercurius, Yukino gazes at the stadium, and marvels at the fact that Natsu defeated her former team-mates. As she talks to a nearby guard about it, she reveals her willingness to participate in the Eclipse Plan, being under the impression that it is a plan to save the whole world. At the same time, Carla has another vision of Mercurius collapsing, and after denying that anything is wrong when Wendy asks, Team Shadow Gear then enters the infirmary to celebrate the victory, and briefly wonders about Gajeel. As Levy narrates this, a scene is shown of a devastated battlefield and a heavily scarred Levy weeping as she writes down about how they lost to fate, and how the people she loves have died.

Jellal then finally corners the suspicious person, and after revealing his own identity, asks that the cloaked figure reveals theirs too. As the person turns, Jellal realizes that she is a woman, and when she shows herself, the independent Mage is shocked speechless. Having found the source of the Magic and questioned the girl, Jellal returns to the rest of Crime Sorcière and informs them of what he has learnt, which seems to shock them, the blue Mage revealing his knowledge about the Eclipse Plan and the Dragon King Festival.

"It that... True?" Meredy asked in a stunned tone, unable to believe what he had just told them.

"It can't possibly... I don't believe it..." Ultear added as she was also in disbelief in what Jellal had just told them.

"Looks like things are going to get real bad..." Natsu said in a quiet tone, mulling over what Jellal had told them.

"We had a huge misunderstanding... And at the same time we were locked up inside a destiny that we can't change. Eclipse, the door that can change the world. And the Dragon King Festival." Jellal lamented as they tried to figure out a plan for the future.

Meanwhile, at Crocus Gardens, Sting and Rogue stand in front of Jiemma, and when asked about the "disgrace" they displayed, Rogue simply admits Laxus' strength exceeds their own, which enrages their guild master. Thinking that they are showing weakness, Jiemma angrily demands that they remove their guild marks, while at the same time knocking the younger Mages off their feet with a burst of magic. However, Lector tries to support the Dragon Slayers, but when Jiemma fails to recognize who the cat is, the Exceed reveals his own guild mark.

This infuriates the Guild master even further, causing him to vaporize Lector with a blast of Magic, much to the shock of the rest of the Guild. Rogue then protectively covers Frosch, thinking that Jiemma was going to attack his Exceed next, though the Masters attention was instead diverted to Sting, who started crying and yelling in grief. Just as Jiemma is about to scold the White Dragon further, Sting unleashes a devastating attack on the Master in his anger, piercing him straight through the chest, much to the entire guilds shock, except for Minerva, who actually seems pleased.

As Jiemma collapses, Minerva congratulates Sting, claiming him to be a candidate for the Guild Master of Sabertooth, having surpassed the previous one in power. Jiemma tries to speak, surprised about the coup d'état, but Minerva tells him to be quiet, since according to his own logic, he has no right to speak. After explaining to Sting that he lacks (thanks to Jiemma's influence) the "power of feelings" that Fairy Tail possesses, Minerva reveals that she managed to save Lector prior to the Exceed's annihilation, sending him away somewhere. Thrilled by this, Sting happily begs her to bring him back, to which she bluntly refuses, saying that she is the same as her father in the aspect that she wishes for Sabertooth to be Fiore's no. 1 guild. Minerva tells Sting that if he wants his friend back, they need to win day five's event, to prove that Sabertooth is the strongest.

Elsewhere, under the Domus Flau, the Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers and Exceeds, along with Gray and Lucy, are lead through the tunnels by Gajeel. He then shows them the Dragon Graveyard he found earlier, much to everyone's surprise. As the discuss what this could mean, they contemplate whether their own Dragon Slayers Dragons were amongst the corpses, though this was instantly disregarded, as the bones were far older than the 14 years that the Dragons disappeared in. Wendy then brings up the Sky Dragon Slayer spell: **Milky Way**, which she learned from Porlyusica, a move that allows them to listen to the voices of the spirits of Dragons.

Wendy decides to use the move to listen to the Dragons voices that slumber in this graveyard, to find out what happened, and also about their own Dragon mentors. In the meantime, somewhere else in Crocus, the mysterious girl with the suspicious Magic is found by a guard in an out of bounds area, and whilst running away drops her notepad. Picking it up, the man reads something about an "Eclipse Plan" and a "Dragon King Festival" that are taking place on July 7.

Wendy manages to use **Milky Way** and searches the graveyard for any Dragon spirits. She manages to find one named Zirconis, the Emerald Dragon, who agrees to explain the Dragon history to them. About 400 years ago, the Dragons were the dominant species of the world and considered humans to be nothing but fodder for them. However, one Dragon sympathized with the humans, and wished to live in peace with them. He managed to convince a few fellow Dragons of his ideology, but many opposed the idea. These clashing opinions eventually lead to a civil war between the Dragons, reaching a stalemate until the Dragons pro-human side taught humans Dragon Slayer Magic so they could fight beside them.

The plan worked and the anti-human side was on the verge of defeat. However, the humans soon also turned on the Dragons who were helping them. But the worst was yet to come when one particular individual continued to kill Dragons and bathe in their blood, so much so that he became a Dragon himself and used his powers to near kill all the Dragons and become the King of Dragons. This Dragon is revealed to be Acnologia, much to the shock of the group, and after revealing this, Zirconis suddenly disappears. The group mull over the information given, Wendy and Gajeel especially worried if their Magic will make them into Dragons too. A voice however rebuffs this claim, explaining that Acnologia had help with his creation from Zeref and his book of spells. The group turn to the voice to find it belongs to Arcadios, who has arrived with Yukino. Arcadios finishes his explanation that killing Zeref will be the first step in stopping Acnologia, though Carla is shaken to realize that Arcadios is the knight from her vision.

Arcadios introduces himself and reveals Yukino's Sergeant rank to the group. He goes on to explain that they needed a Celestial Mage for their plan, hence why Yukino joined his team. Lucy demands he explain himself, and Arcadios complies and leads them to the castle, Mercurius. As they make their way through he admits he was the one who attempted have Lucy kidnapped earlier and that the Games are merely used to collect Magic from the stadium every year. When the group rebuff him for it, he mentions that his plan needs a large amount of Magic to work. Soon, the group comes across a large room holding a very ancient looking door. Arcadios explains the Eclipse Plan, in which the twelve gold keys of the Zodiac are needed and on the seventh of July, when the eclipse passes over, the door can unlock and allow the user to travel four hundred years into the past. What they hope to achieve is to go back in time and stop Zeref before he gained immortality. With Zeref gone, Acnologia will cease to be as well. The group are astonished, the Dragon Slayers even more so when they realize that its execution date falls on the same day their Dragon mentors disappeared.

However, just as Arcadios and Yukino ask for Lucy's assistance in the plan, the royal guard suddenly show up and surround the group. The minister of defense, Darton, appears, leading them. Displeased that Arcadios told outsiders of the project, Darton reveals that he won't let him go through with the plan, as it's too dangerous to change history. He then has Yukino and Arcadios arrested on treason, ordering Lucy be taken in as well. Wendy goes to protect her, but as soon as she tries to use her Magic the door saps it away and she instantly falls unconscious. The remaining Fairy Tail Mages are then thrown out of the castle. However, Darton quickly tells them the King has taken a liking to the group, and as such, if they manage to win the Grand Magic Games, they can gain audience with him and request Lucy's freedom.

The group return to their fellow members and reveal what happened at the castle. The group mull over their options, knowing that fighting against the kingdom would be a bad move on their part, but not trusting that Lucy will be released if they win. Just as Gray and Happy go marching towards the castle to get Lucy, Makarov stops them, claiming they need to act wisely considering their enemy this time.

Back at the castle and in the dungeon, Lucy and Yukino are put in the same cell. They talk, with Lucy mentioning her wariness on if the Eclipse Plan should be activated. Yukino explains her reasons for wanting to go through with it, stating that she lost her sister at a young age to Zeref's followers and hopes to change the past to get her back. Thinking this over, Lucy ponders if it is even possible to change the past.

The sixth day comes and Chapati announces the final event of the Games, the Grand Magic War Game. Makarov reveals that this was part of his plan: one portion of their team will battle in the tournament normally while another team will try to rescue Lucy. As everyone's focus is on the Games, no one will have their eyes on the castle. He silently wishes the rescue team luck as Elfman, Wendy, Mirajane and the Exceeds make their way to the castle.

The rescue team hear the Games beginning from afar and proceed to come up with a plan. Happy suggests wearing disguises, but Mirajane states that she has already come up with a plan of her own. As they go to put it together, Wendy wishes the tournament group good luck. Back at the Games, the rules of the final event, the Grand Magic Tournament, are laid out. The teams will go into the city and battle around it, gaining points for each downed member; five points if they manage to take down the leader of each team. The teams all meet in the city and discuss strategies, with Team Fairy Tail vowing to do their best, both to save Lucy and redeem their guild. Soon, the game is started, and the teams make their way through the city, save Team Fairy Tail, who oddly don't move from their starting spot, much to everyone's confusion, including their own members.

The game goes on with each member of Team Quatro Puppy taken down quite easily. Beth and Araña also get knocked out by the Trimens. Yuka and Toby are beaten by Kagura. Minerva orders her group to avoid fighting Jura and Kagura, hoping someone else will deal with them. Sabertooth retakes the lead, much to Makarov's panic, as his team still hasn't done anything. Mavis finally tells him that this is her plan, as she had been memorizing all of the opponents during the whole tournament and has formulated a strategy to help them, thus why they haven't moved yet. She then orders "Fairy Tail Star Strategy" to commence, and Team Fairy Tail finally go on the move.

Back at the castle, a guard brings in Elfman and Wendy tied up, telling another that they had tried to sneak in and save Lucy. They're ordered to be taken to the prison cell, but when out of sight, the guard is revealed to really be Mirajane, who had disguised herself to allow the group to sneak in. Meanwhile, another guard goes to the princess, Hisui E. Fiore, and tells her that its a good opportunity to commence the "Eclipse 2" Plan.

At the games, Team Fairy Tail go on the move, as guided by Mavis. Rufus, sensing this, fires a lightning attack at them, but, thanks to Mavis, the team manage to avoid it. Mavis then proceeds to move the team around the city to find opponents: Erza finds Jenny and quickly defeats her; Gajeel locates the Trimens and manages to knock out Ren and Eve; Hibiki manages to get out of his line of fire only to run into Gray, who freezes him, putting Fairy Tail back in the lead. As Mavis continues her strategy, Makarov remembers that she was known as the "Fairy Tactician" during her tenure as the guild leader. Ichiya, upon finding that the Trimens are defeated, vows to avenge them, only to get knocked out by Jura from behind, effectively knocking Team Blue Pegasus out of the game with all their members defeated. Elsewhere Chelia manages to beat Risley, putting Lamia Scale in a tie for first with Fairy Tail and Sabertooth. Seeing this and being questioned by the other members if she has a plan for Jura, Mavis admits she doesn't know how to deal with him yet.

Meanwhile at the castle, the group manage to find Lucy and Yukino's cell and break the bars, freeing them. The group are set to leave but Lucy wishes to get her keys back. However, the floor in the hallway suddenly opens up, dropping the group in an underground area with an archway exit. A video of Hisui pops up, the Princess telling the group that they've fallen into "Abyss Palace", where criminals do not last long. She accuses the group of being thieves and tells them they can rot in the underground dungeon. The guards congratulate the Princess on protecting the castle with the King away, but Hisui doesn't seem happy about the success.

In the Games, Gray manages to locate Rufus in a library area. Rufus cockily claims he doesn't remember Gray and asks to refresh his memory. But Gray tells him not to bother as he's going to beat him there and now. As Gray and Rufus stare each other down, the other Fairy Tail guild-members ask Mavis if Gray can beat him. She states she doesn't know, but beating Rufus is vital to their plans. Gray begins his attack, seemingly being bested by Rufus' ability to mix Magic attacks he has memorized, but eventually countering this by performing his **Ice Molding Magic** so fast that Rufus' ability to memorize can't keep up. Returning to simply conjuring older attacks, Rufus tries to burn Gray by creating flames, though Gray comments that he has faced much hotter and stronger flames in the past, pushing through and finishing Rufus with **Ice-Make: Ice Bringer**. Rufus goes flying before he lands, knocked out and defeated, Gray's victory wowing the crowd as he earns them a point. The other members of Team Sabertooth see this, but seem unfazed, while Sting recollects what happened after he defeated Jiemma and why he needs to win.

Meanwhile, in the Abyss Palace, the Fairy Tail members and Yukino try to find a way out, with Carla managing to discover a narrow crevice path. They manage to squeeze their way through, but are met with the form of a badly beaten Arcadios on the floor. When they awaken him, he tells them to run away, as five mysterious figures appear out of nowhere and attack them one-by-one. Arcadios then reveals them to be an independent team of executors that supports the kingdom from the shadows, the Garou Knights. The ex-knight states that because of them, it is impossible to escape the Abyss Palace, while the apparent leader of the enemy claims to have orders to kill all of them.

Arcadios warns him that they have Magic to kill efficiently. The group isn't phased and prepares to battle them Elfman, Wendy, Pantherlily and Mirajane order Lucy, Yukino, Happy and Carla to stay back. Two of the Knights, Cosmos and Kamika, attack first, with the group just barely managing to defend each other from the knights onslaught. Becoming excited, Kamika and Cosmos pick up the pace, unleashing even larger attacks and even paralyzing them. Wendy manages to save them and, in trying to destroy one of Cosmos' spells, Mirajane, Elfman and Pantherlily cause a huge explosion, crumbling the cavern walls and separating everyone in a landslide. Back upstairs, Princess Hisui overhears the knights talking about the Garou Knights engaging the group, prompting her to mention that her plans always seem to backfire as she prays for Arcadios' safety.

Back in Abyss Palace, Elfman, Wendy, Pantherlily and Mirajane find themselves against a member of the Garou Knights (Kama, Cosmos, the burly knight, and Kamika respectively) and forced to engage in one on one combat. While Lucy, Yukino, Happy, Carla and Arcadios end up with each other, only to have to face the fisherman dressed knight, Uosuke. As Lucy and Yukino prepare to face him, Arcadios warns Uosuke always leaves only the bones of his victims.

Elsewhere, Elfman and Kama begin fight, with Kama aiming for Elfman's head. Elfman just barely manages to keep ahead of him. The others in the rescue team find themselves struggling too: Pantherlily's opponent uses acid which he can't seem to bypass. Kamika uses green paper which produces poison forcing Mirajane to hold her breath. And Wendy is forced to dodge bombs from Cosmo's plants before she switches to a sleeping agent that Wendy seems to succumb to.

Meanwhile with Lucy's group, Uosuke begins his attack and cracks the ground, creating lava underneath. Lucy and Yukino avoid falling in but are barely clinging to the rocks, dangling over the magma. Happy and Carla try to rescue them but Uosuke uses his gravity powers to hold them down. Arcadios, seeing this, rushes to their aid through the lava at the expense of himself and hoist the two girls back up. As he sinks, he tells the girls to find Hisui and decide for themselves if they should activate the Eclipse plan. Lucy tries to save him but he completely submerges.

However Horologium appears having saved Arcadios within his body, he's soon followed by Leo who explains he managed to come through the gate. He returns Lucy and Yukino's keys to them. Now armed, the group prepare to counter-attack Uosuke. Back with Elfman, he manages to the catch one of Kama's axes barehanded and crushes it, declaring he will send him flying now.

After checking to make sure Arcadios is alright, Yukino begins the counter-attack by summoning Pisces who reveal they can turn into human forms, as well as showing they are a mother/son duo. As they attack, Uosuke tries to stop them with his gravity powers only to be countered by Yukino summoning Libra who negates this allowing Pisces to get a hit in. Uosuke summons water around him to knock them back, turning them into fish which Yukino reveals is their weakness (an irony that Lucy can't help but notice). But with the water setting, Lucy quickly summons Aquarius to battle.

Meanwhile Pantherlily battles his opponent, who continues to throw more acid his way. However Pantherlily recalls all his training with Gajeel and uses his sword to slice through the acid much to his opponents shock. With Wendy, Cosmos believes her magic worked. But Wendy revives having used her support magic to negate the sleeping agent before summoning her wind to blow away the plants. Meanwhile Kamika sees that Mirajane is in pain from the poison. However Mirajane states that since she's alone, she doesn't have to worry about any bystanders and can go all out. Going into her Demon form and sucking in all the poison. And finally with Elfman whose easily beating Kama into submission.

Kama questions if they really plan to make the kingdom his enemy but the Fairies counter they should've been prepared to have Fairy Tail as their enemy and that they'll go against the whole world if it's to protect their family. All at once, the Rescue Teams deal the final blows to their opponents sending them flying through a wall and into each other, all save Kama are knocked out. The team soon regroup and celebrate as Kama is dumbfounded all of the executioners were defeated. Mira then threatens Kamika to tell her where the exit is or she'll execute him, to which Lucy comments on her being "evil".

Later, the rescue team search for a way out. While discussing how Arcadios survived being the lava, Loke suggests that it was his jade amulet which protected him as it can act as a talisman. Lucy and Carla add that they need to meet the princess and decide for themselves if Eclipse is right or not. Suddenly, the door in front opens and they face a person wearing a hood and asks who they are.

Meanwhile, Princess Hisui is informed that the Garou Knights were defeated by Fairy Tail. Suddenly, Darton shows up and reveals he now knows Hisui was behind the Eclipse project and Arcadios took the fall for her. Hisui counters him, stating that the world should be changed and without it, the country will be destroyed as soon as the next day comes in.

Back at the Domus Flau, Fairy Tail takes the lead after Gray's victory over Rufus. As the team proceeds, Juvia is found by Chelia, just as Mavis predicted. Elsewhere, Erza heads to another area, expecting to fight Minerva but much to her surprise, encounters Kagura instead. While Mavis begins tearing up over her failed prediction, the two Mages fight. Suddenly, a wormhole opens between the two and Minerva materializes through it and attacks the two, wanting to join the battle. With that, the foremost female Mages in the tournament prepare for a three way battle.

As the women face off, the members of their respective guilds are confident in the victory of their guildmates. Analyzing their opponents, the three Mages rush into battle. Despite their attempts, none of them are able to overpower the others. Catching her off guard, Erza kicks Kagura through a wall and takes herself along with her. Minerva attacks Kagura at point-blank range but fails to inflict significant damage as she returns to deliver a blow. Minerva activates her Magic and summons **Yagdo Rigora** to attack, creating a large explosion which engulfs the area and attracts the attention of other participants. However, Erza and Kagura remain, injured but steady. In response, Minerva resorts to bringing a captured Millianna to the battle as a change of strategy, angering the feline's friends.

Inside Mercurius, having heard Princess Hisui's explanation of her actions, Darton suggests stopping the Grand Magic Games. However, the princess claims that she's still got doubts about what she was told. Stating that the person she talked to knows the future, she explains that the result of the game will be "unbelievable". If this is the case, she resolves to open the Eclipse gate herself.

Meanwhile, in Abyss Palace, the group confronts the hooded person, who begins crying. As she asks for their strength, the others take note of her voice. Subsequently, the person takes off her hood, revealing herself to be Lucy from the future. While crying, the Lucy in front of the rescue team claims she came from the future, stating she used the Eclipse Machine to do so. Before the others can question her further, she collapses, worrying the group. Deciding that they can't leave her, the group decides to take her with them as they escape and send up a flare to inform everyone else in Fairy Tail that they have Lucy.

At the same time, Darton questions Hisui sending Lucy and Yukino to Abyss Palace. However, she reveals she already used their keys to unlock Eclipse and will use it if need be, depending on how the games end.

In the games, angered by her capture of Millianna, Kagura angrily tells Minerva to let her go. When Minerva refuses, Kagura charges forth to attack but before she is able to, Minerva switches places with Erza, who narrowly blocks the attack. Minerva tells the two to battle one another and that she will fight the one who is left, admitting that fighting both of them was a mistake. Erza addresses her as a coward, though Minerva counters that she merely made the move which was most beneficial for her. As Erza tells her to let Millianna go, she is headbutted by Kagura, who agrees to fight Erza, stating that she will beat both her and Minerva.

Meanwhile, Gajeel comes across Rogue while going through the city. At the same time, Laxus finds Orga, who introduces himself as the Lightning God Slayer. As the fights continue, Hisui and Darton watch on the Lacrima vision while, sitting alone, Sting comes up with a plan for victory.

On the cliffs overlooking the Domus Flau, Meredy, Ultear and Natsu meet with Jellal. Revealing the information he obtained from the Lucy from the future. Meredy suggests evacuating the civilians in light of the impending danger, though Jellal claims there's something wrong with what he was told.

In the tournament, Erza clashes with Kagura. During battle, Erza uses her Heaven's Wheel Armor to battle while Kagura uses the various forms of her sword to counter and destroy. Despite requipping into various armors, Erza finds them ineffective as each one is destroyed by the Mermaid Hell Mage without inflicting any damage on her. As another armor is destroyed, Erza crashes to the ground below, much to the shock of her guildmates and everyone else, surprised that Erza is being overpowered.

While on the ground, Erza asks Kagura if her strength comes from her hatred towards Jellal, for which Kagura kicks her in the stomach. Erza tells her she doesn't care about why she hates him, but that she shouldn't drag Millianna into it. Kagura retorts that Millianna isn't being influenced and neither is she, causing Erza to ask what happened.

Revealing that Simon who died in the Tower of Heaven was her brother, Kagura reveals the history of her life with her brother and how he was kidnapped while she escaped, as well as how she met Millianna years later and found out what happened to him. Erza relents, tells Kagura that Millianna never saw Jellal kill Simon, and that though he did, his death was her own fault. Though she is not believed at first, Erza states it is the truth, causing an angry Kagura to draw her sword and cause the blood to spill. The draw creates a wave of destruction, however, Erza does not allow herself to die and uses her sword to block Kagura's attack. Claiming that she is alive thanks to Simon, Rob and her friends, she states she will not allow herself to be killed because of them.

Angry, Kagura moves in to attack. Erza defends herself, claiming that she won't lose and delivers a final strike, defeating Kagura. However, as a conscious Kagura attempts to get up, the ceiling above begins to crumble. Erza quickly pushes her out of the way but gets her leg trapped under the rubble as a result. When asked why, Erza states that she remembers Kagura, and that she was from Rosemary Village, just like her and Simon. Kagura recounts how, years ago, Erza saved her from getting caught by the followers of Zeref, bringing her to tears. Erza states Simon often talked about her and that she'd always hoped she was alright. Moved, Kagura lifts a piece of rubble off Erza's body but as she attempts to think about the battle's result, she is stabbed from behind by Minerva, who both earns points for her team and angers Erza with the gesture. Minerva taunts Erza, telling her she's next. Erza looks down at Kagura, who asks her to save Millianna. Upon hearing her name, Minerva brings the cat girl to the battle. As Erza checks up on her, she notices heavy wounds on her back, which Minerva states she inflicted in order to have fun while she waited, causing Erza to stare at her vengefully.

Meanwhile, Gajeel attacks Rogue, who is unable to land a blow. Gajeel tells the Sabertooth Mage that he should give up since, he couldn't defeat Laxus. In response, Rogue tells Gajeel that he isn't as powerful as Laxus. Elsewhere, Laxus and Orga clash. As they ready themselves again, Jura arrives, asking if he can join them. As the Wizard Saint approaches, Laxus calls him a monster.

At the same time, Juvia and Chelia continue their battle. As they fight, Lyon and Gray arrive. As the girls are surprised to see the two boys arrive, Lyon comments on Gray's beat-up appearance, though Gray retorts that they'll still take care of him. Juvia misunderstands Gray's words and asks when they'll go on their honeymoon. As Lyon stares jealously, stating that he needs to make Juvia realize, Chelia tells him he's the one who needs to realize.

Inside Mercurius, the rescue team, having gotten lost inside the massive castle, wonders about their next course of action. As a worried Lucy looks over her future counterpart, she suddenly wakes up and begins wondering where she is. Learning she's inside the castle, she recalls her memory which tells her that after escaping Abyss Palace, they get captured again since they came across the Eclipse Machine and couldn't use Magic, resulting in them being sent back to jail. Wendy asks her why she came to the past, to which she states that she did so to change the worst possible future, alarming the Mages. On her throne, Princess Hisui states she was told that a herd of ten thousand Dragons was coming. While Darton questions it, Hisui states that that the results of the Grand Magic Games will guide her.

The rescue team wonders what could be behind the upcoming events. Carla suddenly recalls her vision and realizes that, in it, Lucy was screaming rather than singing. Asking what happened to them in the future, Carla is met with silence, which the others interpret as meaning their death. The future Lucy explains that after the attack, she came back in time, but only to July 4, due to Eclipse being broken. She tells the group to use an underground passage to meet Jellal, who would be creating a strategy, apologizing for not having one. Arcadios recalls the princess telling him someone told her that Eclipse could be used against the Dragons in what would be known as Phase 2. As he wonders why she lied about not having a strategy, as well as the date she arrived, Lucy thanks her, promising to protect the future.

Away on rocky cliffs, Ultear comments that they don't know whether or not what Jellal heard was true, which Meredy asks if she means that the Lucy of the future lied, Natsu commenting that they shouldn't discredit anything. Reviewing what he was told, Jellal states that it doesn't sound right and that either what he was told was false or that the Lucy he spoke to was a fake.

In Crocus, a battered Rogue states he now understands why Gajeel joined Fairy Tail. Stating that it didn't make sense at first, he believes Gajeel stayed because of friendship, a concept which doesn't exist in Sabertooth. As Gajeel fights for his friends, Rogue states he can't win. In response, Gajeel asks Rogue whether or not Frosch is his friend, which he admits that he is, to Frosch's delight. Suddenly, Rogue hears a voice calling him weak. Turning around, Rogue realizes his shadow is talking to him, telling him to kill Gajeel and offering him the strength to do so.

While going through the underground path, the rescue team is confronted by the army. The group readies to fight, but they notice that Yukino and Arcadios have disappeared. Rather than fight, Mirajane leaves to find Yukino while the rest fight the army.

In the games, Rogue hears the voice of his "shadow". As he starts screaming, Gajeel asks him to calm down. Suddenly, Rogue attacks and makes Gajeel realize he's not fighting Rogue but someone named "Shadow". Gajeel's attempts to fight back are fruitless as Mavis notes him to be up against an evil Magic she's never seen before. "Shadow" tells him that he's not as strong as Gajeel but adds that even he can't stand up to him now.

Crime Sorcière senses the mysterious Magic and Ultear notes it to be coming from town. However, Jellal tells them if future Lucy is with the group, there is no need to worry. In the underground, the Mages battle the knights. As Elfman knocks down several of the knights, he is hit from behind by Magic. However, Elfman shrugs it off, saying that such Magic wouldn't hurt him.

Meanwhile, a near-defeated Gajeel is held choke-held. As he is being strangled, Frosch, feeling the need to do something, heads towards the city. "Shadow" then declares that Gajeel will disappear forever as shadows surround him. The grounded Gajeel starts feeding on the shadows and soon tells "Shadow" to get out Rogue's body, claiming that he's not Rogue, but his former sworn brother, Ryos. Stating that he will help "Shadow" remember to fear him, Gajeel enters **Iron Shadow Dragon Mode**.

Having activated his **Iron Shadow Dragon Mode**, "Shadow" notes that Gajeel now has two elemental types. Gajeel makes himself disappear by turning into a shadow before hitting "Shadow" from behind. "Shadow" takes on the form of a shadow as well but is grabbed by the shadow by Gajeel and tossed into the air. Gajeel unleashes his Iron Shadow Dragon's Roar, creating a devastating blast and defeats the Shadow Dragon Slayer. For his victory, Gajeel earns one point for Team Fairy Tail. "Shadow" leaves his Rogue's body as Frosch appears and asks Gajeel not to do anything else. Gajeel claims won't do anything else, resulting in Frosch going to his partner's side. Rogue wakes up and asks what happened to him, signifying that he doesn't remember being possessed.

Inside Mercurius, Elfman, Loke and Wendy continue to attack the guards. As Pantherlily moves in to attack, he is stopped by an acid attack from Neppa. The rest of the Garou Knights arrive as well, telling the Mages not to underestimate them. Kama arrives as well, stating he won't let them leave. Elsewhere in the castle, Arcadios dons a suit of white armor and heads to meet the princess, stating to himself that since the Lucy of the future wasn't lying, the princess was.

While the rescue team try to make their way out of Mercurius and Arcadios, Hisui and Jellal wonder about the upcoming attack. In battle, Minerva uses her Magic to pick up and throw Erza around, smashing her into a nearby pillar and saying this will be Erza's public execution.

In their own battle, Lyon teams with Chelia while Gray does so with Juvia. Juvia provides water upward for Gray use. Chelia blocks for Lyon and demands that he attack Juvia, though he tells her to do so instead. Gray notices that their teamwork and tells Juvia they have a chance to win.

Elsewhere, Orga tells Jura he wants to see the Wizard Saint go all out. With Jura agreeing and Laxus watching, Orga fires his attack but is grabbed by the head and smashed into the ground, knocking him out of the battle, much to the surprise of the viewers, barring Lamia Scale. Turning to Laxus, Jura states that he has wanted to fight Laxus due to him being Makarov's grandson. However, the Fairy Tail Mage tells him that in their battle, there are no formalities as they are just two men. Laxus goes forth to attack but before he can touch Jura, he is hit on the back of the head and sent slamming into the ground. Jura tells Laxus that there is always someone stronger than oneself. Laxus replies that it's good to look down too, as those stronger people may be just at your feet and uppercuts Jura as he does.

Laxus' hit on Jura surprises the audience and makes Fairy Tail happy until Jura recovers and retaliates. Laxus too engages in battle and both Mages prove powerful and repeatedly land blows, with Makarov surprised by the strength Laxus shows. Jura admits his surprise as well, with Laxus tells him the battle is getting him fired up, to which Jura tells him they should continue. At the same time, the rescue team continues their battle against the Fiore army. Meanwhile, an injured Erza attempts to stand up despite Minerva telling her she can't. Erza retorts that she must due to her anger, resulting in Minerva attacking. Though she is damaged and the audience is surprised by Minerva's Magic, Erza sees through it and releases her second origin, allowing her to **Requip** into a new armor.

Meanwhile, Lyon and Chelia prepare to deal the final blow to Gray and Juvia. However, Gray is convinced that the two of them have poor teamwork and that they can still win, telling Juvia who agrees with him. As Mavis begins reveling in the youth, Laxus deals a powerful blow to Jura, knocking the wizard saint out of the competition and causing him to admit defeat. As a result, Laxus ends up earning Fairy Tail five points for the victory, much to their happiness. Soon after, Gray and Juvia combine their Magic to defeat Lyon and Chelia, the latter of whom simply stares in awe and does not listen to her teammate as Juvia and Gray cast their spells, defeating the two of them. With their victory, Juvia and Gray smile and hold hands, which Juvia refuses to stop doing.

Meanwhile, Minerva attacks Erza with a powerful blast but it has no effect on her due to her **Nakagami Armor**, which uses a large amount of Magic but allows the user to bend Magic to their will. Minerva is left frightened over Erza's power as Erza strikes her with the armor's spear, defeating her. With her defeat, Fairy Tail gains five points, giving them a total of 63 points. With victory near, the crowd chants for Fairy Tail. However it's also noted that Sabertooth still has Sting, who may be able to beat Fairy Tail and win.[199] Sting sends out a signal to Fairy Tail and the battered members make their way to him. Sting demands they attack him all at once and Erza agrees to his challenge. Sting prepares to attack but as he's about to do so, he sees Fairy Tail show no hesitation in facing him. Freezing up, Sting is ultimately unable to go through with his attack and concedes, giving Fairy Tail the last point and victory in the Grand Magic Games, making them the #1 guild once again.

As the stadium celebrates, Erza asks Sting why he didn't attack to which he answers he can see the bond between them makes them strong and he feels he wouldn't be able to see Lector again if he had attacked. At that moment, Millianna suddenly arrives carrying Lector who is revealed to be alive and well. Sting races over and hugs his friend. Thus the games come to an end. At the castle Arcadios reaches the throne room but finds no one there, having just missed Hisui and Darton who make their way to the Eclipse door. Having seen that the future prediction is coming to pass, Hisui goes to activate the Eclipse 2 plan, the Eclipse Cannon.

As everyone congratulates and compliments Fairy Tail, Erza asks if they saw a signal from the Rescue Team but nobody has. Gray looks towards the castle and prays for the safety of the team. Inside the castle, the group are still combating the guards and the Garou Knights, but are on the verge of being overwhelmed. Suddenly, the shadows of the corridor attack the guards and the Garou Knights and sweep them into the darkness, much to the Rescue Team's confusion. As this goes on, Jellal realizes that the Future Lucy had told him that she arrived on July 4th but really came July 3rd, a day earlier then the prediction and doesn't fit in with the time they had sensed the dark Magic within the stadium. The reason they had been sensing the dark Magic is because of the residue on her clothes she had used to go through the Eclipse., meaning there was another person they had been sensing.

Back in the castle, Arcadios finally catches up to Hisui and Darton. She tells him all the solders are up to speed and she is about to commence operations. Arcadios apologizes in advances for what he's about to do and give her his sword, citing if his doubt is unjustified against a royal, he will take his life. He then asks about who told her about the bad future, citing his meeting of the Future Lucy and her uncertainty not matching up to what Hisui had told him. However, Hisui reveals that it was not a girl who had told her of the predictions but a man. Back in the corridors, the rescue team hear someone coming toward them. Elfman calls out for the person to identify themselves and he does, revealing himself as Rogue Cheney, and claiming that he came from the future.

Surprised to see the man claiming to be Rogue from the future, the Mages question why he came back to the past. Elsewhere, Hisui tells Arcadios there can be multiple people from the future in the present, she claims she will protect the country while at the same time, Crime Sorcière heads to Mercurius. Meanwhile, Future Rogue explains that he came back in time to make sure they open the door, stating that Eclipse can be used to defeat the attacking Dragons. However, the Dragons are the rulers in his future and humanity is almost extinct because someone prevented Eclipse from being used, and he's therefore come back to kill that person. Believing that the door will be closed if the person lives, Future Rogue attacks Lucy, who he claims is the culprit. However, his attack is intercepted by Lucy's future counterpart, who takes the blow, much to everyone's surprise. Injured, she falls to the ground, claiming she'd have never done such a thing. As she dies, the future Lucy tells the others not to cry for her, but they say otherwise since she is still their Lucy. Saying she wished to travel with them, the Lucy of the future dies as her Fairy Tail comrades shed tears. However, still believing that Lucy will cause doom in the future, the Rogue of the future attacks again but before he can do so, he is sent flying by another hooded figure.

As Future Rogue reels from the strike, Lucy is advised to escape by Loke, with Wendy, Happy, Carla, and Pantherlily accompanying her. Future Rogue tries to go after Lucy once more but is knocked back by the hooded figure, who vows that they'll protect the future their own way. Meanwhile, Mirajane manages to locate Yukino who sits depressed against a wall, feeling she'll be no use to the others as she brings misfortune to those around her. Mirajane disagrees and comforts her. Over at the Eclipse Door, Hisui commences the operation, having the city evacuated in the process. However the guards have yet to see any Dragons coming toward the city. Lucy's group (sans Leo who had to go back due to the magic sapping door) come upon them and speak with the princess. Lucy reveals what Rogue told her to Hisui but states she wouldn't close it, leaving Lucy wondering why they're opening it early. Hisui states the door needs to charge and they wish to be ready. However, Hisui still doubts even this will be enough to stop the Dragons.

Near the city's central square, the King of Fiore, Toma E. Fiore, has gathered the guilds together and informs them of the coming danger, asking for their help. While shocked at the news and most still injured from the games, the guilds nonetheless agree to help him. With Crime Sorceries' sudden appearance, to Doranbolt and Lahar's shock, Jellal simply asks for a favor from them. Back to the fight, the hooded figure notes that Future Rogue reeks of evil and questions if he truly did come back to save the future. Future Rogue simply smirks while up above the Eclipse Door begins to open.

Midnight soon hits, welcoming the arrival of July 7th, the Fated Day. The Guilds are kept separate, with each one covering a specific section of Crocus, and Fairy Tail keeping watch in the town square. Although several of Fairy Tail's Mages are healed, courtesy of Chelia and the King's soldiers, all are experiencing unease, as the Eclipse has begun. Deep underground, as the Eclipse Gate opens above, the hooded figure and Future Rogue continue to battle, with Future Rogue continuously declaring that he will kill Lucy. After sending the figure flying with a powerful spell, the figure voices his unwillingness to let Future Rogue do as he wishes, before attacking him. Future Rogue seems unharmed, and, expressing his delight at seeing someone able to stand up to his power, blinds the mage before he can attack again. As the light subsides, Future Rogue enters **White Shadow Dragon Mode**.

Before they can react, Future Rogue rushes past him, and delivers a fatal slash to his side, before ultimately defeating the figure with his **White Shadow Dragon's Rough Silk**. Falling to the ground, they stand back up and marvel at the light that Future Rogue is utilizing, and the Shadow Dragon Slayer gleefully explains that he killed the Sting of his time-period to attain such a power, though he notes that his present-self has yet to do such a thing for a very long time. When they ask if Future Rogue was always as heartless as he is now, he replies that he was, but, before he can deliver the killing strike, Ultear and Meredy arrive, with Ultear attacking Future Rogue with her **Flash Forward**. The man from the future, however, turns into a shadow and flees the scene.

As Ultear orders Meredy to prepare the first aid, the two blink in confusion as Natsu simply removes his cloak, revealing that he is in fact, unharmed even after all the attacks that Future Rogue threw at him. Then, they shrank back slightly when they felt the air temperature start to rise, Natsu's eyes holding a strange glint to them. Atop Mercurius, Wendy states that their future doesn't seem as bleak now that the Gates are opening, and adds that Future Lucy can rest in peace. Lucy, while agreeing at first, walks towards the Eclipse Gate, and rebuts her prior statement, saying, to Wendy's shock, that she must close the Eclipse Gate.

Lucy goes towards the Eclipse Gate and states that it needs to be closed. Hisui states that the Eclipse Gate is the only weapon the country has against the Dragons but Lucy states that there is no such thing as the "Eclipse Cannon", and that the entire device can only be a gate that accesses different points in time. As Lucy reveals that the Gate connects their spot in time to that of Fiore over four hundred years ago, tremors are felt by everyone as a Dragon comes out of the Gate and roars, sending those nearby flying. The Dragon goes on to cause more destruction, causing those far away to wonder what is happening. As another Dragon comes out, Lucy asks how the Gate can be closed and is pointed to a pedestal near the Gate.

As she tries to get to the lever, Lucy is pushed back by the exuding Dragons power. Just as another Dragon emerges, Lucy manages to grab the handle, stating that she can use her Celestial Spirit powers to close the door. Wendy asks Lucy how she knew all this, to which Lucy states she had Crux analyze the Gate and was told it combined Celestial Spirit Magic with writings from the 'Book of Zeref' to work. Lucy says that, due to the lunar eclipse, the Magic has been corrupted and resulted in its current state. While Lucy is unable to seal the Gate, Hisui begins crying over her mistake and the doom it will cause to the country. While Lucy continues trying, she declares that they will protect the future.

Despite her attempts, Lucy is unable to close the Eclipse Gate by herself. However, Yukino suddenly arrives alongside Mirajane and tells Lucy to take out her Golden Keys. As she does the same, Lucy follows suit and the two girls combine their magic power to summon all 12 zodiac spirits at once. Together, the spirits take flight and proceed to close the Eclipse Gate, despite more Dragons trying to get through. Working together, the 12 spirits successfully close the gate, much to everyone's relief. However, this relief is short-lived as Future Rogue arrives and proclaims that the number of Dragons present is enough for him.

"Hmph. From this moment forward, the human species shall become extinct. Now begins, the era of dragons!" Future Rogue announced as everyone looked on in fear and shock at the sky full of dragons above them.

"For a start, find all the mages in the town, and eliminate them." He commanded as the dragons roared in confirmation of his order, spreading out as they the people below panicked when they heard their roars.

"T-The dragons... They're listening to what he's saying..." Carla said in shock as Pantherlily and Happy looked on in fear.

"The secret art of dominating dragons... **Dragon Supremacy Magic**..." Future Rogue said as he hopped on top of one of the dragons, the dragon flapping its wings before taking to the skies.

In Crocus, the Fairy Tail Mages are attacked by Atlas Flame as the other guilds attempt to take down other Dragons by using their superior numbers. Despite their attempts, the mages are able to inflict little damage, making them doubt their chances of victory. Flying above the city, the Future Rogue joyfully tells the Dragons to show their wrath just as he spots someone approaching.

On the ground, Fairy Tail has a deal of trouble fighting their Dragon, with even Makarov's attacks not working as their opponent Atlas Flame claims that humans cannot defeat a Dragon. Elsewhere, Sabertooth has their own problems against their Dragon opponent. Sting and Rogue reveal that though they killed Dragons, Weisslogia asked to be killed to further Sting's strength while Rogue merely helped Skiadrum in suicide.

Sting notes that he didn't expect a Dragon to be so strong but Rogue states that despite this, he does wish to help their comrades. Meanwhile, the Future Rogue reveals that in the future, the ruling part didn't come from the gate; Acnologia alone rules the entire world with no opposition. Explaining that his **Dragon Supremacy Magic** didn't work on it and that only a Dragon could kill it, he reveals such is why he wanted the Eclipse Gate opened so he could overthrow Acnologia and become King of the Dragons.

"Guh! Looks like only Dragon Slayers can even damage these things!" A mage shouted as they tried to overwhelm the Dragon using their sheer numbers.

Stating that **Dragon Slayer Magic** can kill Dragons, the mages exclaim that since they have five Dragon Slayers to fight seven Dragons, they will be unable to win. Future Rogue smirks when he sees that they finally have taken notice that they only have five Dragon Slayers. On the ground, Doranbolt returns from afar, heavily exhausted after having brought Cobra from prison to assist in the battle after having been forced to ask for his assistance.

"Oh? Looks like things are getting interesting..." Future Rogue said upon seeing the arrival of Cobra.

Continuing their battle, Future Rogue states that the Mages' efforts are pointless, as humans are unable to defeat Dragons. Future Rogue then calls for Motherglare to attack; it does so by producing eggs and sending them plummeting into the streets below. Upon hitting the ground, the eggs hatch into small Draconian entities. Upon seeing this, Laxus orders the Fairy Tail members to focus on the hatchlings while he and the Thunder God Tribe deal with the fiery Dragon. Meanwhile, Sting tells Rogue to go help another Dragon Slayer-less guild while he and Sabertooth fight the Dragon in front of them, citing that Fairy Tail's words gave him the courage to protect his friends. Rogue then hurries off, stating that Sabertooth's era of dispassion has ended.

Seeing that Blue Pegasus is at a disadvantage as they don't have a Dragon Slayer in their guild, Ichiya attempts to attack the Dragon they are fighting with his perfume to no avail, as the Dragon doesn't have a nose. Cobra, however, arrives and strikes the Dragon from above, offering his assistance. Lahar and Doranbolt, watching from afar, worry what'll happen to their standing in the Magic Council because of their releasing of Cobra, but the two men resolve to think about such things later, as they must ensure that everyone has a future first. Back atop Motherglare, Future Rogue remains confident in his victory.

Back near the Gate, Zirconis taunts those in front of him, causing Wendy to ask him if he remembers her. Subsequently, Carla reminds her that they spoke with Zirconis' soul, and that this is the real Zirconis: the one from four hundred years ago. Carla then states that because of her **Sky Dragon Slayer Magic**, Wendy is the only one who can defeat the Jade Dragon, just as Zirconis releases a large breath attack. However, rather than killing the soldiers caught in the blast, the attack simply strips the soldiers of their clothes, much to the embarrassment of everyone affected. Seeing the confused looks of those present, Zirconis explains that although he likes the taste of people, he detests the taste of their clothing, hence the need to remove them. However, Zirconis decides that even with clothes removed, he doesn't like the taste of men, and prefers women. As such, the Jade Dragon aims a small blast of his Magic at Lucy, which strips her of her clothes as well.

"Was that... Magic?" Wendy asked in a low tone, Zirconis simply smirking at her.

"My magic is made to steal human's dignity. " He sneered at her, Wendy meeting his sneer with an uncharacteristically angry glare.

"Then my magic... Is made to defeat you." She said in an angry but calm tone, the Dragon laughing at her statement.

At that statement, Zirconis then challenges the Dragon Slayer if she can do so before he eats Lucy. Wendy then casts **Arms X Vernier** on Mirajane, before declaring that she will. Roaring at the girls confidence (which knocks everyone within range back), he then takes to the sky and taunts them. Just as he's about to eat Lucy, Mirajane transforms into her **Satan Soul: Sitri**, and charges into his jaw as a distraction, while Wendy attacks from above with her **Sky Dragon's Roar**. Enraged, the Dragon tosses Lucy aside as he prepares to confront his two opponents. Happy goes flying after Lucy in order to save her. As the Exceed inquires about their battle, Lucy complains about the Dragons, mentioning Atlas Flame, Zirconis and the rock Dragon, and the fact that they aren't equipped to defeat them.

Meanwhile, Rogue Cheney is told by the Dragon he's fighting that he should stop as they have orders not to kill him so he could be King. Rogue states that he doesn't want to be King and asks the Dragon to tell him who gave him such orders. The Dragon explains that Rogue himself did as part of his plan to rule the world. Rogue refuses to believe this, however, a voice tells him it is true. Rogue sees his shadow speaking to him, telling him that it is an entity of what Rogue could have been from a possible future. The Dragon tells Rogue to accept his future and, upset, Rogue tries convincing himself it's all a lie as Ultear looks at him from afar.

Ultear thinks about when it was revealed that the man she chased off was the Rogue from seven years in the future; their enemy. Ultear had suggested that they could kill the Present Rogue which would result in Future Rogue not existing. However, the others stated that they wouldn't kill the Present Rogue since he hasn't done anything wrong, and that if they killed him, then they would be the ones who would do wrong. Ultear then promised that she wouldn't kill the Present Rogue. However, after leaving the vicinity of the other mages, Ultear concludes that the only way to fix everything is by killing Rogue.

Elsewhere, Jellal and Erza are found by Millianna. Erza tells Millianna that she has forgiven Jellal for what he did, angering her as she asks if she's serious and recalls what he did. Suddenly, Ultear arrives and tells Millianna that she's the one she should hate, stating responsible for the events in Tower of Heaven as wells as Simon's death. As Ultear leaves, Jellal and Millianna talk about what is wrong in the world, but noting they must continue to live. After eavesdropping from around the corner, Kagura sheathes her sword. As she walks away, Ultear remembers wanting to kill Rogue as well as the other mage's opposition to the idea and falls to the ground, calling herself an evil person.

Meanwhile, Rogue struggles while fighting his Dragon due to his recent discovery. Suddenly, Sting runs towards him and offers his help, also revealing that he's being chased by his Dragon. As the two Dragons argue over their goals, Sting convinces Rogue to take down the two Dragons with him as a team, to which he agrees. On the road, Ultear breaks down, believing her sins will not be easily washed away.

In the ruins of a bar, Meredy, while looking for Ultear, and Juvia are saved from Motherglare's minions by Gray as he gets both of them to the ground before they can be hit. Lyon tells them to focus in battle while Gray approaches Juvia, telling her that he has something to talk to her about. Thinking he is confessing, Juvia becomes flustered, though before he can speak he sees another minion approaching and as it fires at Juvia, Gray pushes her out of the way. Taking the blow, the Magic beam hits Gray through the heart. More of Motherglare's minions appear, firing multiple beams at Gray and piercing his body while Juvia, Lyon and Meredy watch in horror. As Gray falls to the ground, Juvia screams his name in anguish. Meanwhile, Ultear decides that she no longer has the right to live.

As the battles rage across Crocus, things seem to be going badly for the Mages, with not only Gray being killed, but Bacchus and Droy receiving fatal wounds, and Macao being pinned down by Motherglare's hatchlings. Elsewhere amongst the rubble, Ultear grieves over her sins, and is ashamed of herself despite Gray granting her a second chance in life. She then recalls when she was learning her magic, the **Arc of Time**, and how she came upon a spell that reverses time, known as **Last Ages**. Back then, Hades advised her to never use the spell, since the cost of reversing the time of everyone in the world would be her life. In the present, in order to make up for all the evil she had committed in the past, she chooses to use the forbidden spell, hoping to at least reverse time to before the Eclipse Gate was opened.

"If I can make the world go back to normal by sacrificing my life... I'm ready to do it!" Ultear thought as she slammed her hands onto the ground.

"**Arc of Time: Lost Ages****!**" Ultear shouted as a surge of magic erupted from her body, pain like no other surged through her.

"_Please, take the world back... At least, before the gate was opened... Bring back my life's worth of time..._" Ultear pleaded as her body was devoured by a surge of magic, Ultear never noticing the hand that reached out towards her.

"_Time is... Ba-_" She started, her thoughts dying as she glanced at the clock, her eyes widening when she saw time had only been rewound by a minute.

"One minute... Is my life... Only worth... One minute..." She whispered as she fell, expecting to meet cold ground only to feel the warm embrace of someone.

"H-Huh...?" She whispered as her eyes fluttered opened, before widening when she saw the tearful and also burnt face of Natsu.

"You idiot... Just what the hell do you think you were doing..." He asked in a shaky tone, tears falling from his eyes as her own tears began to flow.

"N-Natsu... I... I..." She said, trying to find an excuse for her actions only to quiet down when he tightened his hold on her.

"Shut up! Is that... Is that how much you value your life? That you'd give it up so easily, without thinking about who you'd leave behind?" He asked as she remained quiet, her face scrunching up into a sob as her tears fell freely, matching Natsu.

"You idiot... I've told all of you... You shouldn't die for your friends, you live for them... If you don't have a reason to live Ul or think that you deserve to, then let me give you one." He said as he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, her eyes widening as she felt the brief flash of heat that came from his lips.

"I'm glad that I made it in time Ul... I don't know what I would've done if you died..." He said as he brushed away her tears, Ultear snapping her eyes shut as she sobbed into his chest.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." She sobbed, clutching onto him tightly as Natsu held her, letting her cry her heart out.

After a few moments, she fell asleep in his arms as a group of the Draconian monsters surrounded them. Giving her another kiss on the head, he gently set her on the ground, his vest as a pillow for her as he glared at the monsters, all of them shrinking back as their instincts were screaming at them. Raising his head, Natsu let a savage smile grace his features as his tears evaporated, cracking his knuckles as he moved away from Ultear.

"You've really pissed me off..." Natsu said in a low tone as he sped towards the nearest monster, impaling its chest with his hand before tearing its head off.

Throwing the corpse at its brethren, he quickly crushed and killed the remaining monsters as he rolled his shoulders. Glancing up, he saw that Atlas Flame and Motherglare were still wrecking havoc on the city with little opposition due to the mages focusing on the dragons on the ground. Smirking, he made his way to the top of a building before unleashing his magical pressure, the entirety of the city freezing before they turned and looked up at him.

"Looks like it's time." Natsu said as a savage smile appeared on his face, taking an inhale of air as Motherglare and Atlas Flame gave him a curious look.

"**Fire Dragon's Roar**!" He roared, firing a concentrated beam of fire as the air around him ignited, an explosion of flames melting the building he was standing on and those nearby.

The beam racing towards the two, they were unable to react as the beam collided with them. A brilliant sphere of fire resembling a miniature sun consuming the two dragons, the jaws of everyone dropping when they slowly began to see the figure in the light of the sphere, many had tears fall from their eyes when they saw his locks of pink hair.

"N-N-N..." Lucy stuttered, unable to form a complete word as she covered her mouth with her hands.

"Na-Na-Na..." Erza continued, like Lucy, she was unable to form a coherent sentence or word due to the shock of seeing him once again.

"Natsu!" Meredy shouted as she grinned with tear filled eyes at the pink haired Dragon Slayer.

Smirking at her, he passed in front of the stunned mages before cocking his hand back in front of Levia. The aquatic look Dragon flinching when he felt the sudden surge of heat, he was sent flying back when Natsu slammed his burning fist to the Dragon's jaw, making the eyes of the Lamia Scale and Mermaid Heel mages widen with the power he had. Dropping, he cocked his arm back and took a step forward as the air crackled with the lost of moisture.

"**Fire Dragon's Flame Wave**!" He roared as he swung his in an upwards arc, sending a large scale wave of fire towards Levia, the dragon roaring in agony as the flames seared his hide as Natsu moved to the top of another nearby building, while he grinned in a savage and predatory manner at Future Rogue.

"Natsu... Dragneel..." Future Rogue said in a stunned and slightly fearful tone, loud enough to echo across the area.

"I'm all fired up..." He said in a fierce tone, the sobs of many people sounding out as the truth was finally revealed.

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**And that's that. So, what'd you all think? I know it's written a little or a lot funky, but you know how it is. I had a blast writing that bit with Ultear and Natsu and the mini battle scene at the end. Ah, well that's all said and done so I'll catch you all on the next update alright? Till next time, stay awesome.**


	4. Chapter 4

"Natsu!" - Person Talking

"_Natsu!_" - Person Thinking

**"Natsu!"** \- Large Being Talking

_**"Natsu!"**_ \- Large Being Thinking

**"****Fire Dragon's Iron Fist****!"** \- Magic

**Hey guys, it's Dom here once again. Whoa, sorry about that late update, I've been busy with stuff an things. Anywho, this chapter is a bit rushed in all honesty. I wanted to get the Grand Magic Games Arc over with so I could jump into my own story arc before the Sun Village Arc. So yeah, fights are a bit rushed like a lot of the things in this chapter, but I've never been really good at them, just look at my other stories for proof. But yeah, Natsu being OP as heck, just how I like it. Haha, but yeah, sorry about the late update, if you're waiting on my other two stories, they'll be getting an update soon so don't start rioting alright? Not that I can stop you or anthin. Well, that's enough yapping outta me don't ya think? You came to read right? Then let's a go.**

* * *

Smoldering Ember - Chapter 4

"I'm all fired up..." Natsu said in a tone challenging and slightly mirthful tone, his eyes shining with a dangerous glint as he stared at the stunned form of Future Rogue.

Silence permeated the area, disbelief and tears in the eyes of many as they stared at his form. For most, it was a scene of complete disbelief seeing as he was announced dead many years ago. However, the ones who were the most affected were those who were trapped on Tenroujima, having been told that he had perished even before they could even explain their actions or talk to him. Looking at him with tears streaming down their faces, everyone from Fairy Tail were sobbing or calling out to him in an attempt to get his attention, though it fell on deaf ears as Natsu ignored them.

"**Such power, what are you! Not even the Twin Dragons were able to damage me!**" Levia roared as he rose to glare at the pinkette, Natsu simply flashing him a savage grin before his fists ignited.

"I'm a Dragon Slayer." He said as he rocketed towards Levia once more, the dragon swiping at him with his claws only to hit air when Natsu changed the trajectory of his flight path.

Slipping past the dragon's attack, he pulled his arm back before slugging the dragon once more, sending it stumbling back as he turned around to face Zirconis, the dragon giving him a stunned and confused stare only to be blown away by a vicious torrent of fire that left Natsu's fist. As he landed on building, it was demolished by Scissor Runner's roar, forcing the pinkette into the air once again as Oscurare and Dondolare flanked him on both sides. Inhaling, they fired off their roars at him, Oscurare's taking the form of a large gray stream while Dondolare's was a large scale beam with pieces of jagged rock mixed in. The roars racing towards Natsu, they collided with the pinkette dead center, a bright explosion consuming him.

"Natsu!" Meredy screamed in horror, her eyes wide as she forced herself to move to his location, praying that he was alright as a few others joined her.

Dropping down, Oscurare and Dondolare kept their guard up as they awaited the large cloud of dust and rubble to settle, paying no mind to the group of mages that approached from the side. Then, a sudden surge of heat forced everyone to back up, the temperature cranking up in intensity as the dragons were engulfed in large pillars of flames, making the jaws of many drop as the magical pressure felt was far above that of even a Wizard Saint. Oscurare and Dondolare flying out of the pillar, several burns on their bodies ranging from negligible to mild, they landed a fair distance away , a bit surprised at their fresh wounds.

"**He's no pushover. It appears that we truly have a Dragon Slayer to deal with.**" Dondolare said in a terse tone, his eyes narrowed in both caution and anger at the slowly dying pillar of flames.

"**To think that one existed that rivaled those of the past.**" Oscurare said in a tone filled with slight respect, not expecting a mage of this time to actually damage him.

When the flames finally died down, Atlas Flame, Motherglare and Future Rogue dropped down to confront the Dragon Slayer before them. A cold sweat breaking out of the future man's body as he saw the lack of damage that Natsu had on his body, the only signs he had even been attacked being scrapes and slight burns that littered his body. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he tensed when Natsu glanced up and locked eyes with him, the dragons surrounding the man also tensing as well.

"So, you're the mastermind behind this whole charade huh?" Natsu said in a cool tone, his eyes burning with a calm anger as Future Rogue readied himself.

"I-Impossible... Y-You should be dead." He said as Natsu simply flashed him a savage grin in return, turning his attention away from Future Rogue and focusing it on Atlas Flame.

"Atlas Flame, you are a friend of my father correct?" Natsu asked, the flaming dragon looking at him curiously as everyone else snapped their heads to face him.

"**Your father? What are you babbling about human?**" He said in an agitated tone, Natsu raising a brow at the answer before flaring his magic once more.

"You're a dear friend of my father Igneel aren't you?" Natsu implored as Atlas Flame's eyes widened in realization, taking in account the strength, intensity and beauty of the flames the pinkette utilized.

"**You... Are the child of Igneel...**" Atlas flame said with his voice barely as loud as whisper, Natsu smirking before hopping onto the head of the flaming dragon.

"Atlas Flame, please lend me your power and help me save the innocent from that man." Natsu asked as Future Rogue started to panic, beginning to exert even more of his **Dragon Supremacy Magic** over the flaming dragon, only to feel the link burn away as Atlas Flame turned to face Motherglare and himself.

"Impossible! How did you break my magic!" Future Rogue shouted as Natsu flashed him another savage grin with Atlas Flame delivering a heavy headbutt to Motherglare.

"**I simply followed my heart. This child is no doubt the son of my dear friend, and I will lend him all the strength that I am able to muster.**" Atlas Flame said as Motherglare and himself took to the skies, leaving behind a bewildered bunch of mages and dragon.

"Hey! All of you who are able to fight, protect those who can't! I'll deal with the dragons!" Natsu ordered using **Telepathy**, snapping many out of their stupor as Natsu's magical pressure began to lessen and in turn the draconian monsters began to move once again.

"Meredy, Ul is near the clock tower, go protect her!" He ordered to the other pinkette, Meredy's eyes widening a bit before she nodded and rushed to the location of her precious friend.

Soon the battle escalated once more, the Dragon Slayer's placing their pride on the line as they tried to inflict the same amount of damage that Natsu had done to their respective draconic opponents. While the effort to battle picked up, the effort to protect outshone as many different guilds banded together in a much closer manner then they had before.

With the duo fighting against Levia and Scissor Runner, Rogue and Sting were floored by the amount of power that Natsu had just displayed. They were Dragon Slayers themselves, ones who prided themselves on their strength and yet they were unable to even cause little more then a slight irritation to the two dragons they were fighting. Natsu had displayed the power and skill that matched his type of magic, they were looking and fighting beside someone who could truly be called a Dragon Slayer.

"T-That's him Lector, t-that's Natsu-san!" Sting said in a tone of awe and slight fear, trying to raze Levia's hide using **Holy Ray**.

"H-He's even stronger then I-I remember Sting-kun!" Lector said in a fearful tone, his eyes wide as he watched the pinkette rain down flames on Motherglare.

"H-His strength... I-It seems limitless..." Rogue whispered in a tone of fear and awe as he used his **Shadow Dragon's Waxwing Flash** on Scissor Runner, the dragon blowing his shadow away with his wings.

"F-Fro thinks so t-too..." Frosch whispered as he held onto Rogue's leg, shaking as he saw the night sky once again light up in orange and red.

With Fairy Tail, they were fighting with more vigor and determination then they had ever felt before. Above them, riding on top of a dragon that physically and magically reflected him, was Natsu. For all of Fairy Tail, seeing him battle with skill and intensity unlike anything he had displayed in the past was striking for them. For those who learned of his passing six years ago, seeing him again was something akin to a miracle. For those who were on Tenroujima, it was like a dream. But for all of them, they were going to fight and redeem themselves at all costs.

"Yes Gray-sama!" Juvia said in an exited tone, moving in front of the imposing form of Oscurare, Gray moving beside her before taking her hand.

"**Unison Raid**! **Shotgun**!" The two shouted as they joined their magic, firing a large cluster of frozen debris at the dragon while their guildmates preparing for their own attacks behind him.

"Wendy! Follow my lead! **Open the Gate of the Scorpion! Scorpio**!" Lucy shouted as she summoned the spirit, Scorpio using his **Sand Buster** as Wendy took a lungful of air.

"**Sky Dragon's Roar**!" Wendy roared as she fired a tornado-like roar, the magic mixing with Scorpio's into a larger more powerful tornado of wind and sand.

"**Unison Raid**!" The two mages shouted as their newly combined spell overtook and sped up an oncoming Erza by a considerable amount, the mage surging towards an amused Oscurare.

"**Nakagami Starlight**!" Erza roared as she reequipped her Nakagami Armor, her eyes burning with determination as she moved to slash the dark dragon.

With the increase in speed, Erza rocketed towards Oscurare before delivering a heavy slash with her halberd across the dragon's chest. Grunting as the halberd connected with his seemingly impenetrable scales, the attack on him faltered until the **Unison Raid** from Wendy and Lucy caused the dragon to stumble back from the **Dragon Slaying Magic** it contained.

With newfound strength, the success of the mages in protecting and standing their ground against the draconian monsters served to make Future Rogue sweat. In the air, Atlas Flame and Motherglare faced off in a devastating show of power, neither able to cause a significant deal of damage to the other. As Atlas Flame dug his fangs into Motherglare's adamantine body protected him from any major damage, Natsu moving onto the other dragon as Future Rogue began to panic

"This ends now! **Fire Dragon's Blast Knuckle**!" Natsu roared, his fist igniting as he drove it into the other man's jaw, a concussive explosion of flames consuming and searing Motherglare's hide as Future Rogue was blown off of the dragon.

Following the falling and smoking form of the time traveler, Natsu caught up to the man and glared into his eyes. Future Rogue's eyes barely open, they widened in fear when they caught sight of Natsu's dangerously glowing eyes. Cocking his arm back, he unleashed a brutal and unrelenting assault of blows to the semi-conscious man before grabbing his face with right hand.

"**Fire Dragon's Grip Strike**!" He roared as he unleashed a vast and explosive amount of intense flames, sending Future Rogue rocketing to the ground before colliding and causing a minor tremor to resound.

Landing next to the newly formed crater, Natsu glanced up and saw that Atlas Flame was still battling with Motherglare, causing the pinkette to narrow his eyes. The effect of Future Rogue's magic beginning to wear off, the dragons charged in on Natsu's form along with the draconic monsters spawned by Motherglare. Atlas Flame readying himself to rush to Natsu's aide, he paused before moving to a safer location when his magic spiked to levels near his own. As Motherglare, Zirconis, Scissor Runner, Levia, Oscurare and Dondolare closed in on him, Natsu took a deep breath as the area around him started smoldering and melting as the ambient temperature in the entire city began to quickly rise.

"**Fire Dragon's Fierce Roar**!" Natsu roared as he released a gigantic mass of flames that consumed the six dragons and lit up the night sky in a brilliant yellow and orange glow.

As several roars of agony resounded like loud cracks of thunder, the smoking and smoldering forms of the seared dragons fell from the sky like meteorites, causing several large tremors to radiate from the craters their bodies formed. Glancing at the still bodies of the dragons around him, he glanced down at the severely burnt and charred body of Future Rogue, the man hanging onto his consciousness by a mere thread.

"You're lucky that I don't end your pathetic existence right now. After everything you've done and caused, I should burn you from the inside out." Natsu whispered to the downed man in a tone full of anger and hate, the ground at his feet melting slightly.

Scoffing with small puff of fire leaving his mouth , he turned to face the Eclipse Gate, everyone in his line of sight stiffening and sweating as he stalked his way towards the gate. As he ignored the trembling forms of the guard, Arcadios and Hisui; Natsu continued on until he stopped in front of the closed gate, the temperature skyrocketed once more as he gazed upon.

"This thing is part of the reason for everything that happened..." He growled out in an angered tone, those around him scampering away for safety as his fists once again lit up.

"**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist**!" He shouted as he drove his fist towards the door of the gate, an enormous plume of flames enveloped the immediate area.

Flames blanketing the area, many had to turn away to ease the slight pain the flames caused their faces. As they felt the temperature start to drop back to a bearable level, they turned back around as many felt their jaws once again drop as everything around the pinkette was nothing but molten, melted, smoking and smoldering. Turning around, he was greeting with many fearful and tense stares, mostly coming from those who had no knowledge about who or what he was.

"Guh... H-How... Are you alive...?" Future Rogue groaned out in an agony laid tone, managing to turn his head enough to face the back of the pinkette.

"Save your breath, you're in no position to be asking anything about me." Natsu said as he turned, glaring down hard at the downed man as he started to glow with the dragons.

"**It appears that I must return, to my own time.**" Atlas Flame said his form started to fade, losing sense of its tangibility.

"The dragons, they're vanishing." Laxus said as a few of the dragon started to rise, craning their heads to face Natsu.

"**To think I would actually be wounded, by a human no less.**" Motherglare said in an impressed tone as he stood, his body beginning to fade away before vanishing completely.

"**So, they too have a true Dragon Slayer.**" Oscurare said in slight respect, a smirk on his face before fading away himself.

"**So you weren't all talk human.**" Dondolare muttered out bitterly, growling at the fact that Natsu had actually damaged him before fading himself.

"**How disgraceful. By some human.**" Scissor Runner grunted in a disgusted tone before he faded away.

"**I will concede defeat this time human, the next time we meet you will not be so lucky.**" Levia said in a tone of mixed anger and respect, joining his brethren back in their own time.

"**How? A lowly human has damaged me to this extent? Impossible!**" Zirconis lamented as he glared at Natsu's form, anger and bitter respect gleaming in his eyes before he faded away.

"**Hmph. I will never forget you Natsu Dragneel. Truly, you carry within you not only Igneel's fire but also his strength and will.**" Atlas Flame said in a proud and slightly solemn tone, giving Natsu one last grin before fading away.

As the last of the dragons returned back to their own time, Future Rogue managed to mutter a few more words to Natsu before fading himself. As they returned back to their own time, the hatchlings that Motherglare had spawned vanished as well. Soon, all was quiet until a unanimous cheer erupted from the gathered mages, celebrating the victory over their seemingly invincible opponents.

"W-We did it!"

"The small ones are gone too!"

"Hell yeah! It's over!"

Everyone involved with the fierce battle for their futures cheering and celebrating loudly, it was a warm and bright sight. Though, in the midst of the celebration there were seven who weren't feeling the joyous and festive atmosphere. Mavis looking down in a mix of sadness and belief, she scanned the area and saw that the six Dragon Slayers looked the same.

"We did it Gajeel!" Levy shouted in a happy and relieved tone, smiling brightly at the area the dragons used to lay.

"Tch... Yeah, but..." Gajeel trailed off, tightening his fists as he glanced at the back of the pink haired man standing before them.

"This leaves a bad taste in my mouth." Cobra said, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists at the lack of success he had fighting the dragons.

"Not a single one of our Dragon Slayer managed to defeat any of the dragons." Mavis said in a bit of sadness and shame, her eyes looking at Gajeel, Laxus and Wendy's slightly slumped forms.

"How pathetic..." Sting muttered as he crouched down, obviously feeling what his other Dragon Slayers were feeling.

"Yeah, makes me question my worth as a Dragon Slayer. Especially compared to him." Rogue said as he stared at Natsu's form, his partner following his gaze and grimacing at the gap in power.

As the thoughts of the Dragon Slayers began to delve into darker and self deprecating territory, they were brought out of their slump when the cheers and cries of the masses thanked them for their combined efforts. As they were surrounded by their guildmates and other mages, they were assaulted with complements and praise, through it only served to damage their pride more. Meanwhile, back in the castle Future Lucy also began to glow before she returned to her own timeline. Once the cheers began to die down, they all turned their attention to the one who downed the seven dragons and the mastermind behind the whole attack. Gulping slightly when he turned around, they were a bit taken back by how bored he looked.

"N-Natsu... Is it really you?" Makarov whispered as he took a hesitant step forward, the pinkette raising an eyebrow at him before turning and making his way towards Jellal.

"You alright?" He asked, helping the bluenette up and getting an appreciative smile in return for his action.

"I'm fine Natsu, though I'm far more concerned about you." Jellal said before a blur of blue collided with Natsu's chest, Happy crying and sobbing happily as he embraced him.

"Natsu! I missed you!" Happy cried out as he snuggled against the man's chest, a familiar and comforting warmth filling him as Natsu froze upon the contact.

As soon as Happy made the first bold move to embrace Natsu, the rest of Fairy Tail stormed towards him in an attempt to apprehend him and question him about what he had been doing for the past few years. However, before they could reach him, a large wall of ice erected itself between them and the pinkette. After a few seconds, it began to crack before crumbling completely, Meredy, Ultear and Jellal standing next to Natsu with fire in their eyes.

"What do you think you're doing?" Meredy asked in a cool tone, her eyes focusing on the mages before her as she wrapped her arm around his causing an angry shake to move through a few of the Fairies.

"What're we doing? What're you three doing? We're taking back our guildmate and friend!" Lucy shouted as her guildmates took another step forward in agreement.

"Your guildmate? Natsu is our guildmate and a mage of Crime Sorcière." Ultear said in a confident tone, wrapping her arm around his and leaning into him, smirking when a few of the female mages of Fairy Tail openly growled at the action.

"Unhand him immediately! Natsu, please come to your senses!" Erza ordered hotly though her voice trembles slightly near the end, implementing her legendary intimidation as the mages around her shuddered slightly at her tone as it softened towards the pinkette.

Seeing the tension in the air, Natsu glanced around before sighing and shaking his head in exhaustion. Gently removing Ultear's arm from his, he removed Happy from his chest and set him on the ground. The Exceed's eyes widening to the size of dinner plates, Natsu gave the cat an apologetic and betrayed look before motioning for him to return to the Fairy Tail mages. A look of disbelief overtaking the faces of the Fairies, it quickly turned angry on a few when those who used to be close to the pink haired Dragon Slayer moved to capture him.

"Natsu!" A few of the Fairies shouted in anger as they started stalking towards him.

Erza leading the charge, the group of Fairies stormed towards Natsu, the young man raising an eyebrow at their action before shaking his head in disbelief. Turning towards his guildmates, Natsu whispered something to them as they hesitantly shook their heads in understanding. The three looking at him with concerned eyes, he gave them a reassuring smile before turning and walking towards the oncoming Fairies. Seeing him heading towards them, they froze in place before straightening out and meeting him with bright smiles on their faces.

"Natsu..." Erza whispered as tears brimmed in her eyes, moving quickly to wrap the pinkette in a warm hug as a few of those present let out a shout of disbelief at her out of character action.

"What do you think you're doing?! I thought you died!" She suddenly roared, cocking her arm back and hitting him on the back of the head in anger.

"Where do you get off leaving Fairy Tail for as long as you did?!" She continued, grabbing him by the collar and shaking him violently as the others looked on in a mix of fear and incredulity, a few dropping their jaws at the sight while others had their eyes widen to the size of dinner plates.

Her shaking becoming more and more violent as time passed, Erza abruptly stopped when she felt Natsu wrap his hands around her wrists. A bit of pink dusting her cheeks when she felt how warm his hands were, she found herself gazing into his eyes which were filled with a fond nostalgia. Stunned, Erza felt her hands get pulled away from his collar before she saw him rub the back of his neck and release a sigh.

"If you want to talk, can it wait for a few days? " Natsu asked in an exhausted tone, glancing at Makarov and the rest of Fairy Tail as they nodded after recovering slightly.

(Time Skip - A Few Days Later)

(Scene Change - Crocus: Mercurius)

"Do I really... Need to wear these kinds of clothes?" An embarrassed and blushing Yukino asked the other female mages present in the dressing room she was with.

"Of course! They look great on you!" Lucy said as she moved to get into a dress of her own.

"You look beautiful Yukino!" Mirajane added in agreement with Lucy, clapping her hands together to emphasize her point.

"Mire-nee! Please help me out here!" Lisanna cried out as she struggled to tie the back of her corset as Wendy moved to assist her.

It has been several days since the battle with the dragons. The mages who assisted in the battle were invited to a celebration in the Royal Palace, Mercurius. Lucy, Mirajane, Lisanna and Yukino arrive and are greeted by their friends and notice that all the Mages from other guilds who entered the Grand Magic Games are present as well. During the festivities, Hisui recognizes Lucy as the daughter of her friend Jude Heartfilia's daughter and apologizes for the way she treated her, for which Lucy forgives her.

Meanwhile, Gray is confronted by Juvia but tells her point-blank that he will start saying "No" to that which he doesn't like, which proves to dampen Juvia's mood a bit more then usual. Elsewhere, Chelia and Wendy are seen by Mavis while eating. While numerous women hang off Laxus, he and the Thunder God Tribe can't help but think back to what Natsu had told them. On the floor, Erza approaches Kagura and asks if they could be friends but Kagura states Erza is more of an elder sister to her and is pulled in for a hug. Seeing Millianna's depressed face, Erza gives her Happy and subsequently Carla and Pantherlily when Happy alone is not enough.

Meanwhile, Sting and Lector greet Gajeel and ask for Natsu, to which Gajeel replies that he isn't there. Gajeel asks Rogue about his future counterpart, to which Rogue replies that he won't become him. As Sting's attitude angers Gajeel, other Sabertooth members note that Sting has lightened up as of late. As they drink, Sting notices Yukino and is surprised to see her. Sting tells her that he plans on rebuilding Sabertooth as a guild that values their comrades and asks Yukino to rejoin Sabertooth.

However, a drunk Kagura tells him Yukino will be joining Mermaid Heel, starting a fight between the two. Before long, Fairy Tail and the other guilds present declare their interest in Yukino and demand that she join their guild, inciting an inter-guild brawl which over joys Yukino to tears. The quarrel is then put to a halt once Arcadios tells the Mages that the King is coming to greet them. Hearing this, everyone keeps silent but cheers as the one to greet them is the king, Toma E. Fiore, who is not dressed as Mato. Smiling down at them, he addresses them and thanks them for their valiant and successful efforts in driving off the dragons that attacked his kingdom.

As the celebrations pick up, there is a noticeable fall in energy when it came to Fairy Tail. Makarov and Mavis contemplate what Natsu had told them about meeting them a few days later but still haven't received a notice about when or where that meeting was to take place. Sighing, the masters of Fairy Tail eventually dove back into the festivities as the battle for Yukino picked up to an all time high, much to the happiness and chagrin of the person who was being fought over. Though, for herself, Yukino couldn't help but blush and smile demurely when she finally found out just who it was that had helped and saved her, Natsu Dragneel.

"Natsu-sama..." Yukino whispered in a fond and longing tone, her eyes shining and her heart speeding at the thought of meeting him once again.

(Scene Change - Crocus City Ruins)

In the ruins of the city, the four members of Crime Sorcière were gathered together as they scanned the ruined buildings for any clues as to what had overtaken Future Rogue to cause such a drastic change in personality. A bit confused when they found no traces of Zeref's magic or the presence from before, they were about to stop and head back when they caught the sight of someone who they dreaded to see. Standing before them, looking at them with steel in his eyes was Doranbolt.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location Outside of Crocus)

"The councilors had their memories wiped?!" Jellal asked in a shocked tone, Ultear being equally shocked while Natsu and Meredy opted to remain indifferent.

"That's right, we altered the memories of everyone involved. Except for well, you know." Doranbolt explained as Jellal and Ultear nodded their heads in understanding, though they were a bit surprised.

"I'm impressed. So you had that kind of power." Ultear admitted as Jellal nodded his head in agreement, a bit stunned that he had that kind of power.

"Infiltrating and investigating with that magic is my job." He said as the two nodded their heads, knowing what he had done in the past.

"But why would they do that?" Jellal asked, Doranbolt shifting his gaze between the four mages before relenting.

Doranbolt states that the royal family was using Magic from the book of Zeref, which would negatively impact the country. That if word got out that the royal family had anything to do with black magic the people of the country would turn their backs on them. The people would lose faith in the royal family and in the worst case, the royal system would be destroyed. Finishing his explanation, he turned to leave but what stopped by Jellal when he asked about the whereabouts of Cobra.

Doranbolt stops in his attempt to leave and first answers Jellal's question about Cobra, stating that came back after the battle ended and allowed himself to be arrested. While this happened, Cobra stated that the gates of the netherworld were about to be opened. Jellal thinks about what Cobra said and thinks of the Dark Guild Tartarus, a third of the Balam Alliance. As Doranbolt leaves, the four sigh and relax as the threat of the Council coming after them was adverted thanks to him. As they start moving on ahead, Natsu stops before telling them about what he had told the mages of Fairy Tail.

"You three go on ahead, I'll catch up with you guys later. I've got some people who really want to talk with me." He said in an exasperated tone, Jellal smiling wryly at him while Ultear and Meredy gave him a small frown of disapproval.

Placating their concerns, Jellal and himself shared a firm and brotherly handshake while Ultear and Meredy gave him an intimate hug. But before he broke off his hug with Ultear, she surprised everyone present when she leaned forward and kissed Natsu squarely on this lips, the young man's eyes widening as Meredy let out a shout of disbelief and panic. Savoring the warm feelings of his lips, Ultear licked them a few times to get a finer taste before pulling away with a heated blush on her face, Natsu having a fine dusting of pink on his own cheeks.

"U-Ul, w-what was that all about?" He asked in a stunned tone, his mind kicking into overdrive at what had just happened as Ultear simply embraced him once more.

"I always cursed my own life you know. The anxiety, hatred and anger I felt, I couldn't suppress. However, that moment that you called out to me and saved me. I realized that there is an endless world spreading before me. Your flames illuminated me and the light that they gave off was like a shower washing away my sins. And when you said that you would give me a reason to live, I was happy to have been born for the first time. I was genuinely happy Natsu. Finally, after all these years, I finally managed to forgive myself and it's all because of you. Natsu, I love you." Ultear explained, the eyes of everyone widening as she beamed a smile brighter then Natsu's flames at the man she held before giving him a much deeper kiss then the last.

Quickly letting go of him, Ultear sprinted past the stunned forms of Meredy and Jellal as they gawked at what had just happened. After a few minutes, Natsu had managed to snap out of his stupor and wave weakly in the direction of the raven haired woman before waving at the stunned duo before him. Stiffly, he turned and headed towards a road that a certain set of carriages were travelling on. Stopping by an intersection, he sniffed the air to get a bearing on which path they took, passing the time by going over what Cobra had warned him about.

"_Salamander, I hate relying on anyone especially you, but I got something I gotta tell you. Be on your toes, something nasty is coming and it sure as hell isn't gonna be pretty._"

"Something nasty huh." Natsu whispered as he turned his head, gazing along the long stretch of road that laid before him as he moved on.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

(Scene Change - Fiore: Magnolia Town)

Upon their return to Magnolia Town, the Fairy Tail mages are greeted by the citizens, who gather in the streets for a celebration of their victory. The mages are astounded to see this, surprised that everyone was there. Juvia notices Gray's sad face and asks what is wrong, though he brushes off the issue. As they shout out to her, Lucy notices her landlady and the boat driver, the latter of whom tells her she needs to pay rent.

Erza is fawned over by many admirers of her feats, who argue over what her best performance was. Meanwhile, Cana opens his bag to show everyone the victory trophy Fairy Tail won. Suddenly, the mayor of the town calls the mages over to his location. The mages are shocked as they are presented with their guild building completely restored. When told that the entire town pitched in to help, a joyful Makarov professes his love for the town.

From the top of nearby buildings, the small black creature who traveled with Obra watches the goings-on before jumping down and scampering away into the forest, where he jumps upon the shoulder of Zeref. Mavis arrives shortly after and greets the dark mage. Zeref tells Mavis that though he cannot see or hear her, he knows she is there.

Talking about the atrocities he's seen in his life, Zeref states that what humans are doing is not truly living and that "humans" are already dead. He tells her that if the world rejects him, he will annihilate it and kill everyone. Mavis in turn tells Zeref that Fairy Tail will stop him and annihilate him instead as the two mages stare at one another. As Mavis gives him one last glance before she leaves, Zeref notes to himself that the battle between Natsu and himself is fast approaching.

Back at the guild, the celebrations and festivities are only increasing as more and more people are rushing into Magnolia to meet the guild that won the Grand Magic Games. As the entire town was partying like there was no tomorrow, a few members of Fairy Tail tensed when they felt an all too familiar presence enter the vicinity of the town, snapping their heads towards its location before exchanging glances with each other. Nodding, they moved to tell Makarov but stopped when they saw the somber smile on his face, turning their heads once more only to have their eyes widen when they saw a head of pink hair moving towards them.

"Natsu!" Happy shouted in joy, rushing to meet the oncoming man with a hug as the rest of the town looked on in slight shock in seeing the Dragon Slayer once again.

"I-Is that Natsu Dragneel?"

"You mean the one who died six years ago?"

"Shouldn't he still be in prison?"

"D-Don't panic, if he tries anything we have Fairy Tail here to protect us."

As fearful and concerned murmurs passed through the gathered crowd, a few of the Fairies narrowed their eyes at the fear present in the eyes of the townspeople. But before they could do anything, Natsu had reached them with Happy nuzzling happily against his cheek. Standing awkwardly in front of them, he slowly raised a hand in greeting before giving them a small ghost of a smile before they all panicked and rushed to smother in him greetings and apologies. After a few minutes of converging on the returned mage, they backed off when Makarov approached him and motioned for him to follow.

"Master, where are you taking Natsu?" Lucy asked in a bit of a scared tone, voicing the thoughts of the others as he was still considered a fugitive.

"Don't worry, I just want to talk with him for a bit. Just to catch up a little before you all can have him once more." He said with a smile, the others letting a breath of relief escape their throats.

Nodding, Natsu moved next to Makarov before the two headed inside of the guild and headed towards his newly furnished office. As the two men left, the celebration died down for a few seconds before it picked back up once more. Though, the Fairy Tail mages were a bit more subdued in their celebrating, their minds more focused on what they would say when the pink haired man returned. Steeling themselves, they went through what they would say in their minds before reciting it over like a mantra, preparing for the inevitable talk they wanted to have with Natsu.

(Scene Change - Fairy Tail Guildhall: Makarov's Office)

Sitting across from each other, Makarov stared at Natsu with a look filled with shame and guilt, the pinkette simply staring at Makarov with a bit of nostalgia in his eyes. After a few seconds of silence, Natsu was the one who broke the tense silence.

"It's been quite some time Makarov." Natsu said in a cordial tone, giving the elderly man a tiny smile which was returned a hundred fold.

"That it has my boy, that it has. How have things been? I feel that things haven't been... Easy for you." Makarov said with guilt and shame in his voice, Natsu merely tilting his head in confirmation at his words.

"Yeah. After I lost Fairy Tail's guild mark, I kinda shut myself away from the world. During the first few months I blamed you all, wondering why you turned your backs on me when I needed you most. But after about six months, I stopped caring altogether. But then Jellal came and liberated me, and after that started to head uphill. It was a year after I joined Crime Sorcière that I found out that I was framed, the explosion caused by someone from Grimoire Heart called Zancrow." Natsu said as he retold Makarov the events that he had gone through during the past six years, though at the mention of Grimoire Heart and Zancrow the elderly man's heart sank deeper then the depths of the sea.

"Natsu... I'm so sorry. So it really wasn't you." Makarov lamented as he bowed his head in shame, Natsu simply waving off his apology.

"It's fine, it's been six years and I've moved on. I've a new guild and a new family now after all." He said with a fond smile on his face, different from the small one he's been giving the guild.

"I see. So I take it you're not going to return to Fairy Tail." Makarov said with a sad tone, Natsu nodding his head slightly at the statement.

"Yeah, I'm not. I'm happy where I am now and those three need me, like I need them." He said with fondness, his tone causing Makarov to flash a slightly envious and solemn smile.

Spending the next few minutes talking with each other and catching up, Makarov was happy to know that Natsu didn't resent them as much as they had thought he would. Spending the past six years with people who were seeking redemption and to atone for their sins caused one to learn how to forgive those who truly were sorry for their past actions. When the time came for him to leave, Makarov asked the man to spend a few minutes with the rest of the guild, having promised them that they could speak with him. The pinkette nodding his head softly, Makarov smiled brightly and led him out of the office, the eager and nervous faces of the Fairies awaiting for the return of the Dragon Slayer.

"N-Natsu, h-how are you!" Levy bravely said first, breaking the silence that permeated the guild as the man in question blinked in surprise before moving towards her.

"Levy... You look as pretty as ever." He said in a nostalgic and fond tone, his eyes softening considerably as he traced her un-aged features while a fiery blush razed her face.

"N-Natsu! W-What are you doing!" She squeaked as embarrassment and confusion flooded her system, many letting out shouts of indignation at his action.

"Natsu! Let Levy go!" Jet and Droy both shouted in jealousy as they moved to pry his hand off of the bluenette's face, but they stopped when someone else beat them to it.

"Oi Salamander, don't go around touching people like you own em." Gajeel said with steel in his voice, his eyes narrowing at the man as Natsu raised an eyebrow.

"It's been a while Gajeel." Natsu said in a firm tone as he removed his hand from Levy's face, the bluenette pouting a bit from the lack of warmth she had missed.

"It has. Tch, it pisses me off that you actually managed to fight on equal ground against six dragons while we couldn't do shit." Gajeel said bitterly, his pride more damaged then ever at his lack of strength.

"I wouldn't say I fought on equal ground, I didn't cause much damage to them all things considered." He replied, Gajeel grunting out a reply before turning away from the man as the others laughed wryly.

"N-Natsu-san, h-hello!" Wendy said as she greeted the man in a timid manner, Natsu's eyes softening once again when he laid eyes on the young Dragon Slayer.

"Hey Wendy, it's been a long time hasn't it." He said with a fond tone, Wendy's cheeks coloring when she heard his tone.

"N-Not at all! After all, y-you s-saved me that night." Wendy said with admiration and affection in her tone as she looked at Natsu with shining eyes, Natsu smiling softly at her as he moved to ruffle her hair gently.

"I couldn't let anything happen to you, especially not on a night as important as that." He replied as she giggled, soaking in the loving gesture that she was receiving as the others shot the pair a confused look.

Noticing their stares, Wendy blushed even brighter then before as her eyes started to swirl in embarrassment. But before she could faint Natsu caressed her hair in a gentle manner, explaining the events of the night to the other mages. When they found out that Natsu had probably saved their team from being disqualified, they thanked him profusely. Laughing softly with his eyes closed, he didn't the longing and loving stare that a certain white haired mage was sending his way. Soon, she took a deep breath and marched towards him, drawing attention from everyone except for the man in question.

"Natsu!" Lisanna shouted as she tackled him with a hug, similarly to how she did when she first arrived back to Earthland.

"Lisanna..."Natsu replied softly after getting over the initial shock of being glomped, refraining from returning the hug she was giving him.

"Natsu? What's wrong?" Lisanna replied in a mock hurt tone, her eyes shining with false tears as her bottom lip quivered slightly.

"No, it's just... It's been so long. I thought you died again..." He whispered before returning her hug, her eyes widening when she remembered what he had told her the day she had returned.

(Flashback - Seven Years Ago: A Few Hours After Lisanna's Return)

(Scene Change - Natsu and Lisanna's Childhood Hut)

Sitting alone in front of the hut that belonged to Lisanna and himself, Natsu stared at the grave marker that he had made for the white haired girl who had just returned. Letting a relieved sigh quietly escape his mouth, he leaned back onto the palms of his hands as he picked up the scent of the very person he was thinking about. After a minute or two, the sound of the bushes nearby rustling told him that she had arrived. Stepping out of the brush with a surprised look on her face was Lisanna, the surprise being replaced with a loving expression.

"Natsu..." She whispered softly as she smiled, moving to greet him as he tensed up at her approach.

"Hey Lisanna..." He said in an equally soft tone, cursing himself for sounding so meek in front of her.

When she arrived in front of the hut, she fixed her skirt before sitting down next to him. Sitting together in silence, it wasn't as awkward as most would have imagined it would have been. Rather then the awkward silence that usually persisted when someone talks to another who they haven't seen for quite some time, it was an amiable silence that two fond spirits had with each other.

As the minutes ticked by, Natsu and Lisanna drifted their gazes towards the other and when they caught the other doing the same, they quickly adverted their gazes with pink and red invading their cheeks. Then, both started laughing and giggling when they realized what had happened, turning once again with smiles on their faces.

"It's been a long time since I've been here you know. Everything is still the same, well mostly everything." Lisanna said in a nostalgic tone, Natsu smiling softly at her as she stared at the grave maker that held her name.

"I... I made that after you, you know, left me... I mean, us! As in Fairy Tail; Happy, Elfman and Mira!" Natsu said before quickly amending the last part of his sentence, Lisanna looking at him with mirth and affection dancing in her eyes as she watched him panic.

After letting him try and fail at hiding the fact he was the one who he was talking about, Lisanna let him off the hook by making small talk. The pinkette asking about what she had been up to for the past few hours, Lisanna had told him that she was being smothered by Mirajane and Elfman, the two refusing to leave her alone for more then a few minutes at most. Finally deciding that she needed some alone time, she snuck off on her own to find the person who she wanted to see the most, especially during her time in Edolas.

"I missed you Natsu... I missed you so much..." She whispered as she leaned onto him, feeling him tense before he relaxed and wrapped an arm protectively around her waist before drawing her in closer to him.

"Me too... I... I felt so helpless and weak when they said you were dead, I felt that it was my fault that you left us. And I never did get over that you know. I always felt that something was missing inside of me." Natsu admitted as Lisanna's eyes widened before closing softly, the white haired girl snuggling deeper into his shoulder as he shuddered slightly as he recalled the nightmares he had.

"It's ok now Natsu, I'm back. And I'm not leaving, not until you say "I do," at least." She joked, the pinkette blushing brightly before laughing.

Spending the remainder of the afternoon together, they relived fond memories they had with each other as they shared laughter and smiles. After a few hours of reminiscing, Lisanna wiped her eyes to rid them of the tears that were falling from them. In the middle of her action, Natsu wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down with him, Lisanna's face becoming tomato red at the implications and hidden thoughts that his action entailed.

"N-Natsu! W-Wait! W-What if someone sees us!" She squeaked in an embarrassed and slightly excited manner, though her expression shifted to one of concern when she felt him hold her tighter.

"Natsu?" She said, calling out his name in concern when he didn't respond to her question.

"Never again. Promise you won't leave me ever again." He asked, no pleaded, with the white haired girl, Lisanna's eyes softening considerably when she heard how desperate and afraid he was.

"I promise. I won't ever leave you again Natsu." She whispered as she held his head to her chest, feeling him tremble slightly before he steeled himself.

The two stayed in that intimate embrace for a few minutes, each enjoying and finding comfort in the way that they were holding the other. Natsu, feeling security and love in the way Lisanna held him while Lisanna felt need and affection in the way that the pink haired man was embracing her. Reluctantly, they separated and were red faced when their eyes met. Then, Lisanna got up and bounded towards the hut as Natsu looked on in confusion. Once she was inside, she turned and flashed him a loving smile as a look of recognition dawned on his face along with a smile.

"Welcome back, Dear!" Lisanna chirped, the image of a young girl overlapping with her as Natsu grinned.

"I'm back, Honey!" Natsu called out, the image of a young boy overlapping with him as Lisanna smiled sweetly, the two laughing with each other as the past and present seemed to overlap with each other.

(Flashback - End)

"Natsu..." Lisanna whispered in a soft and gentle tone, nuzzling him affectionately against his cheek as the impact of his statement hit her.

For her, it had been only a few days since they had that conversation. But for the man that she was holding, it had been seven long years since she made that promise to him. She couldn't even begin to image how he must have felt not knowing if she was truly alive or had really died. Throwing those depressing thoughts out of her mind, she focused her attention on making sure that he never left her sight again. Unfortunately for her, she was pried off by a red faced Erza and Lucy who had enough of watching her smother him.

"Hey, what's the big idea you two!" Lisanna shouted, obviously upset that she had separated from the one she loved.

"W-What's the big idea? Lisanna, you can't smother Natsu like that!" Lucy said as she had a firm hold on her arm, a bit of jealousy leaking into her voice.

"Agreed, we can't scare Natsu off like usual now that he's returned." Erza said as she nodded her head, many sweat dropping and laughing wryly at her ironic statement.

Watching the scene playing out before him with nostalgia and a bit of mirth in his eyes, he laughed softly as the three young ladies in front of him blushed upon realizing that they were creating a bit of a scene. Quickly fixing their appearances, Lucy and Erza walked up to him and gave him a friendly smile before hugging him with a bit of moisture in their eyes, Lucy more so then Erza. A bit surprised, he returned the hug before they broke after a few seconds. Smiling at him, the two couldn't help but blush when they saw how much more handsome he had become over the past seven years. But their moment was ruined when Gray, Gajeel, Elfman and Laxus walked up to him.

"Oi Natsu, why don't we see how much stronger you've really become?" Gray challenged as many quickly grew interested at the prospect of the challenge.

"You want to fight me?" He asked in a surprised tone, making Gray blink a bit in surprise at the lack of heat in the statement.

"Uh, yeah. I want to see if you're still the same flame brain from before." He said in a condescending tone, expecting Natsu to heat up at the insult.

"Sure, if you want to." He answered as he shrugged his shoulders, many laughing as Gray blanched at the casual dismissal of his insulting nickname.

"Oh, this'll be interesting." Laxus said with a smirk on his face, cracking his knuckles as he sized Natsu up.

"Gihi, let's settle things once and for all Salamander!" Gajeel said with conviction as he pumped himself up at the prospect of fighting the man who managed to wound the dragons when he couldn't.

"Natsu! Let's see how much of a man you are now!" Elfman shouted as many laughed wryly at his statement.

With the prospect of watching a battle between their most powerful friends, in a usual Fairy Tail manner, a betting pool started up with Cana heading it. Soon Erza, Lucy, Wendy, Lisanna, Mirajane, Juvia and the Thunder God Tribe joined the battle against Natsu. Seeing that such a large number of people wanted to battle with him, Natsu had suggested that they either team up or come at him all at once, prompting many to drop their jaws at his statement. But after a while, many conceded with his suggestion and paired up. Erza and Laxus were going to battle one on one with him while the teams consisted of: Lucy, Gray and Juvia, Wendy and Gajeel, the Strauss Siblings and the Thunder God Tribe. Finally, things were underway as Gray's team met him on the training field outside of the guildhall.

(Scene Change - Fairy Tail Guildhall: Outdoor Training Field)

Now that they were all outside on the training field, a field protected by heavy duty rune magic to prevent collateral damage, Natsu stared down at Gray, Lucy and Juvia as they began to sweat slightly at his now blank expression. Makarov acting as the referee, he glanced at both parties before nodding and bringing his arm up.

"The first match between Natsu and Gray, Lucy and Juvia will now being. Start the match!" He said as he brought his arm down, Gray rushing forward as Lucy and Juvia trailed behind him.

"Let's go Natsu!" Gray shouted as he brought his hands together, an icy mist beginning to roll off his hands.

"**Ice Make: Saucer**!" He shouted, creating and firing a spinning bladed disk of ice at the still man before him.

Though, his confidence melted like the disk of ice when it got within five feet of Natsu. The jaws of may dropping at the lack of reaction or surprise from Natsu, they watched as he raised an eyebrow in a manner of saying "is that all?" at Gray, who grew red with anger at the casual dismissal of his magic. Brining his hands together once more, his magic rose to a higher level before he slammed his hands on the ground.

"**Ice Make: Geyser**!" He shouted as a tower of ice spikes encased Natsu, many looking on with wide eyes at the size of the structure.

Not waiting for a second, Juvia and Lucy both readied their magic as the tower quickly began to melt into a pool of water at the pinkette's feet. Juvia moving alongside Gray, they exchanged glances with each other before holding hands as their magic started to meld together. With Lucy, she brought out the key of her most powerful spirit as Natsu freed himself from his icy prison.

"**Water Nebula**!" Juvia shouted as she fired a high speed, circular shaped column of water at Natsu.

"**Ice Make: Arrows**!" Gray shouted as he created a large number of icy arrows that sped towards Natsu.

"**Unison Raid**! **Shotgun**!" The two shouted, the icy arrows and Gray's magic freezing Juvia's water as it solidified into a large burst of icy spears.

Once again, as they spears got within five feet of Natsu they melted into a harmless pool of water at his feet. Cursing under their breaths, they looked a bit surprised before smirking when they saw the familiar glow that signified the summoning of a celestial spirit.

"**Open the Gate of the Lion!**** Loke**!" Lucy shouted as the leader of the zodiac spirits manifested in front of her, surprise written all over his face as he stared at Natsu.

"Natsu? Is that you?" Loke asked with wide eyes, disbelief in his eyes as Natsu smiled and waved at him.

"It's been quite some time Loke." Natsu said as the spirit nodded and smiled back, settling into a fighting stance as Lucy moved beside him.

"Let's go Loke! No holding back!" Lucy ordered, Loke nodding as he powered up his **Regulus** before moving to engage Natsu in hand to hand.

The pink haired man dodging and weaving between Loke's blows, the spirit was beginning to sweat more and more the longer he remained in close proximity to the pinkette. As he cocked his arm back, a sudden surge of intense heat forced him to back up as Natsu smirked at him. Wincing as he felt his entire body was stinging as if the very air itself had burned him, he widened his eyes when Natsu appeared in front of him and buried his fist into his stomach, spittle flying from his mouth as he was sent soaring backwards.

"Loke!" Lucy shouted as the spirit returned to his world, stunned that the spirit was defeated in one blow.

The three quickly fell to their knees when Natsu exerted his magical pressure, their knees shaking and buckling before they collapsed into a scared heap. Even Gray couldn't hide the fear in his eyes when he saw Natsu's eyes start to glow crimson when they were overshadowed by his bangs. Then, he bopped Gray on the head which knocked him out. Turning, he held out both of his hands and flicked the two girls on the forehead, causing them to cry out in pain as they held spot they were injured, tearing welling up in their eyes from the sharp pain that accompanied the rather painful flick.

Sighing in relief when he lifted his pressure, Makarov called the match as they were deemed unable to continue. After their defeat, the morale of the other contenders were shaken a bit, a terrified Wendy and slightly nervous Gajeel walking onto the field as Natsu's eyes shone with a light they didn't find too pleasing.

"Alright, next match! Natsu vs. Wendy and Gajeel, begin!" Makarov shouted as he brought his hand down, Wendy immediately charging her magic as Gajeel charged forward.

"Oi! Sky Dragon, back me up!" He called over his shoulder as Wendy nodded, wanting to impress the man they were facing.

"**Arms X Armor X Vernier**!" Wendy called out as she enchanted Gajeel, the man surging towards Natsu with twice the speed as before.

"Eat this Salamander! **Iron Dragon's Club**!" Gajeel shouted as he transformed his arm into a club, smashing it into Natsu's face without mercy.

A large smirk on his face, it quickly fell when he cried out in pain and jumped back, holding his now burnt hand as he stared at an unimpressed Natsu. The pinkette raising his brow again in the same manner as before, Gajeel's brow twitched as Wendy looked on in a mix of awe and shock. Swallowing the lump in their throats, they turned towards each other and nodded in agreement as they both took a deep breath.

"**Iron Dragon's Roar**!"

"**Sky Dragon's Roar**!"

The two roared, their roar's combining into a larger more powerful one as it collided with Natsu, debris and dust obscuring his person. As the dust began to settle, there was nothing inside of the crater that Natsu had been standing in a few seconds earlier. Tensing, they turned around only for Gajeel to be sent eating the ground when Natsu bopped him on the top of the head. Wendy's knees shaking terribly, she stared up at Natsu with large, teary eyes as he moved to bop her on the head as well.

When he caught sight of her strangely egg-like watery eyes, his resolve crumbled faster then the Fairies' chances of winning as he moved to poke her gently on the forehead, causing her to blush at his gentle "attack". Sighing, Makarov shook his head as he started to weep, having placed a large sum of Jewels on his children to "win", which was making Natsu use his magic. Calling the match, the next two matches went the same was as the ones before it. Natsu dominating the teams with the exception of a few key mages.

With the Strauss Siblings, he simply bopped Elfman on the head as he was spouting things about men fighting one on one, though he was the one who was with a team. To defeat Lisanna, he simply appeared face to face with her before he whispered something unintelligible close to her ear and gave her a rather sensual wink, causing her maiden circuits to overload as she fainted with an atomic blush and an extremely embarrassed but slightly excited smile on her face.

With Mirajane however, it became a rather destructive battle as she instantly took to her **Satan Soul: Sitri** and rushed down Natsu with a unrelenting barrage of attacks. When it looked like Mira was gaining the upper hand, Natsu caught one of her punches with one hand, stunning both her and bewildering the crowd. Then, he buried his fist into her abdomen as she lurched forward with spittle flying from her mouth. After that she quickly fell from her transformation as Natsu caught her, whispering something into her ear as her face lit up in a surge of crimson before she looked away in embarrassment. Many wanting to know what he had said to two of the residential beauties, they ushered them off the field as the Thunder God Tribe moved to face him.

Starting the match, Natsu dodged the assault of beams from Bickslow's **Baryon Formation** while avoiding the crippling runes that Freed laid out and Evergreen's **Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun**. After a few minutes of playing cat and mouse, Natsu turned the tables and took out Freed by smacking him on the back of his head with an open palm, causing him to eat the ground. Doing the same with Bickslow, he bopped him on the top of the head and floored him. Turning, he was about to do the same with Evergreen but sweat dropped slightly when she was holding onto a slightly protective Elfman.

Realizing their predicament, Evergreen turned red before slugging Elfman and shouting about how close he was to her, though the anger she was mocking was clearly a rouse for the embarrassment she felt. His tear now a waterfall, Makarov prayed for the last of his mages to pull through and force the pink haired man to use his magic. Erza took a calming breath as she stepped onto the field, staring Natsu down as she requiped into her **Flame Empress Armor** and points her sword towards him.

"Don't hold back against me Natsu, like how I never held back against you!" Erza ordered with fire in her eyes, many gulping as a strange look passed through the pink haired man's eyes.

"You sure you want that?" He asked in a concerned tone, causing her to falter a bit when she heard how worried he was for her.

"Y-Yes, of course! You should know better then anyone else that I will be able to handle it!" She said confidently, Natsu scanning her for any lies as she began to feel a inkling of something in the pit of her stomach.

As she started to reconsider her request, the temperature on the field skyrocketed as flames started to dance around Natsu. Gulping, Erza steeled herself and raised her sword only to stare in shock at the molten piece of metal resting in her hands. Nearly half of the flame-resistant sword was now resting on the ground in a pool of molten metal. Discarding the sword, Erza winced as she felt something start to burn her leg. Looking down, her eyes widened when she caught sight of more molten metal, this time the source being her very armor.

"W-What!? M-My armor, i-it's melting!" She cried out in a mix of shock and awe, quickly requipping into her **Sea Empress Armor**.

"I am not going down without a fight Natsu!" Erza roared as she fired wave after wave of powerful whirlpools at the motionless man before her.

Like with Gray and Juvia, her water magic proved ineffective against him. Unlike those two however, her water spells evaporated as soon as they touched the air, causing everyone to look on in utter bewilderment at the temperature that must have been consuming the field. Soon, Erza's swing became more and more erratic as the heat started to affect her greatly. As she began to sway, Natsu appeared beside her and caught her, the temperature dropping considerably as she was deemed unable to continue.

When Makarov called the match, Erza couldn't help but let a sigh of utter frustration and contempt leave her throat, idly snuggling against Natsu as she began to think of ways to counter his seemingly omnipotent control over their match. It wasn't until she heard a few people loudly clear their throats that she realized what she was doing, turning as red as her hair when she felt herself rubbing her cheeks against his chest. Letting out an out of character squeak, she sprang away from him before composing herself once more, shooting a dangerous glare at anyone who was about to speak or comment about her action. But before she could punish anyone, a rather happy Makarov announced that the final match was to begin, Laxus rolling his shoulders as he stared at Natsu.

"This is pretty weird you know." He said, a smirk on his face as Natsu returned it.

"Yeah, it used to be the other way around back in the day." Natsu replied as Laxus let a small smile make its way to his face.

Standing before each other, Laxus tensed as his grandfather raised his arm then he vanished in a flash of lightning when Makarov started the match, intent on damaging the pinkette unlike anyone before him. Appearing next to Natsu, he charged his fist with electricity before slugging Natsu across the face, a flash of lighting blinding a few as Natsu took a step back. Not giving him any chance at a counter attack, Laxus pressed on with his attack, taking a deep breath.

"**Lightning Dragon's Roar**!" He roared, firing a large beam of lightning at point blank range, a large explosion resounding.

Before the dust settled, Laxus sprang backwards in a flash of lightning as he readied himself for whatever Natsu was going to do. But a brief flash of heat caught his attention, causing him to turn and widen his eyes when he saw Natsu standing next to him. Cursing under his breath, he brought his arms together as Natsu gave him a lazy backhand, the blonde's eyes widening as pain ripped through his limbs. As he was sent flying back, he righted himself in the air only to eat the ground when Natsu bopped him on the head. Seeing that no one was going to get anywhere with the pinkette, Makarov called the match.

As Wendy tended to Laxus, who was grumbling about a rematch and about pink haired Dragon Slayers getting lucky, Natsu was in the center of the guild as everyone tried to get him to explain how he got the power that he had. All attempts however, were met with dead ends as he simply said he didn't know. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the pinkette stood and bid everyone farewell, making the eyes of almost everyone in the guild widen with confusion and panic.

"G-Go?! You're leaving!?" Gray shouted, not understanding what his rival was getting at.

"Oi, you're joking right Salamander? You just got here and now you're going?" Gajeel asked as he stared incredulously at Natsu.

"Yeah, it's about time I get back to Jellal and the others. They're probably worried sick about me." Natsu said with a small laugh, giving everyone a small smile before he turned around.

"Y-You're not serious are you Natsu? Y-You belong here, with Fairy Tail!" Lisanna said as she grabbed his wrist, omitting the "_with me_" her mind had wanted to say instead of Fairy Tail.

"Lisanna's right, you aren't going anywhere." Erza ordered with steel in her voice, grabbing onto his wrist in an ironclad grip.

"Everyone, I'm not a member of Fairy Tail anymore." Natsu said in a quiet tone, the truth of his statement making nearly everyone freeze when they realized it.

"W-Wait... Y-You're not coming back? To Fairy Tail?" Levy asked in a shaky tone, her eyes wide and tears beginning to well up when she saw him nod his head,

"I'm a member of Crime Sorcière now, and they need me." He said as Erza and Lisanna tightened their grips on him, obviously bothered by his statement.

"But we need you here at Fairy Tail!" Erza shouted as she looked at him with moist eyes, leaving out that she needed him here.

"Natsu, please! Please don't go!" Lucy and Happy shouted as they grabbed his shirt, tears in their eyes as he shook his head in the negative.

"I need to go everyone." He said in a firmer tone then before, many gritting their teeth at his statement.

"But Natsu, you can't go back! Everyone there is... They're..." Happy said as he trailed off, the temperature dropping slightly as Natsu's mouth thinned to a small line.

"They're what? Criminals? Former Dark Mages? Wanted people? People who've made mistakes? I'm no different." He said in a quiet tone, many wincing at his harsh words.

"B-But Natsu-san... I-I'll miss you..." Wendy said in a sad tone, her eyes watery as Natsu's gaze softened slightly.

"Don't worry, I'm confident that we'll meet each other again." He said as he ruffled her hair gently, Wendy nodding her head softly as she took in his warmth.

Soon, Natsu bid his farewells once more as he exited the guild. Many calling out for him to stay, their words fell on deaf ears as he didn't acknowledge their words. As a few of the Fairies shed tears at his departure, they returned to their activities at a more sedated pace. Lisanna wiped her tears away before turning to face Wendy, Erza and Lucy, the three sniffling as they gazed in the direction that he had left in. A bit of concern and possessiveness filling her, she walked over and said something that caused the entire guild to fall silent.

"Hey you three..." She started, getting the attention of the three as they turned to face her, wiping away their tears.

"W-What is it Lisanna?" Lucy asked with a strained smile, trying to draw attention away from her slightly pink eyes.

"I-Is something wrong?" Wendy asked as Lisanna nodded, getting the three to stiffen up at her serious look.

"Well what is it Lisanna? Did something happen?" Erza asked in a concerned tone, everyone in the guild now listening in on the conversation.

"Natsu is mine. He's always been mine, so please remember that." Lisanna said as she strode past them, leaving them and everyone else in the guild gawking and gaping at her bold statement.

"W-What?!" Erza and Lucy shouted as they turned to face her, both red in the face from a mix of anger an embarrassment.

"Awawawa!" Wendy cried as she was crimson faced from Lisanna's claim over Natsu, unable to tell if it was romantic or platonic.

As a dispute broke out over the meaning behind Lisanna's statement, the entire guild eventually got caught up in it as the rowdiness from before picked up once again. A few of the female mages arguing over the meaning behind Lisanna's words, stating that he wasn't a married man while Lisanna begged to differ stating that he already had a child with her. At that, Elfman panicked and went on a rampage, causing many to be caught up in his path as another brawl broke out. Soon, a strange mix of shouting and laughter could be hear across Magnolia Town as Fairy Tail was once again back in action.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location)

Arriving at the edge of a forest, Natsu turned and saw the curvaceous form of a familiar redhead. Her eyes widening, she brought her hands up to her mouth as she stifled the sob that wanted to escape her throat. Narrowing his eyes at her, he saw her flinch in a mix of fear and shame before he softened his gaze. Releasing a sigh, he opened his arms with a small smile as she quickly sprinted into his embrace, sobbing against his chest as he simply held her tightly.

"C-Cherry Hair!" She sobbed happily, as she tightened her hold on him, as if he was a lifeline.

"Hey Flare..." Natsu whispered soothingly as her sobs increased in volume when he heard how gentle his voice was.

After a few minutes of embracing, Natsu let go of a reluctant Flare as he sat her down to explain why she was here. Retelling the story of how Raven Tail was disbanded, she was about to head to Magnolia Town when she felt a familiar magical source. Following it, it had turned out to be Natsu's. Explaining to him sadly that she no longer had a place to return to, Natsu gave her a soft smile and told her that she could come back with him, to Crime Sorcière, and the look she gave him was the most comical thing he had seen in quite some time.

"D-Do you mean that...?" She asked in a hopeful tone, looking up at him with moist eyes and red cheeks as he nodded softly.

"I do. If you want somewhere to call home and a group of people to call your family, you can come to Crime Sorcière with me. Jellal, Meredy and Ultear won't care about what you've done so long as you're willing to make things right." He explained as her eyes shone with hope and happiness.

"R-Really? I-I am sorry about what I did to Blondie, but Master Ivan said if I didn't that I would be hurt even more." She whispered as Natsu suppressed the magma-like rage that burned through his veins.

"That's good Flare. And hey, it's good to see you again." He said in a fond tone as her eyes widened before softening, a small but beautiful smile lighting up her face.

"I missed you Cherry Hair..." She whispered in a loving and longing tone as she leaned up and captured his lips in a soft but passionate kiss, Natsu's eyes bugging out as she nibbled his lips.

"F-Flare!" He shouted in shock, only to quiet himself when he saw that she had fallen asleep with a look of radiant happiness and safety on her blushing face along with the same small and beautiful smile from before.

"Sleep tight Flare." He said with a smile on his face, picking the young lady up bridal style as she snuggled into his shoulder while muttering something Natsu failed to pick up.

"_You saved me again Cherry Hair... You always save me..._"

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**And boom, it's another done chapter. What'd you folks think? Again, it's rushed, sorry bout that. But yeah, Ultear laying claim on her man. Lisanna doing the same and it's causing a war over at Fairy Tail. And what's with Flare? Who knows, do you have a guess? Haha, well you'll find out sooner or later I assume. You all know the drill, till next time, you all stay awesome. **


	5. Chapter 5

"Natsu!" - Person Talking

"_Natsu!_" - Person Thinking

**"Natsu!"** \- Large Being Talking

_**"Natsu!"**_ \- Large Being Thinking

**"****Fire Dragon's Iron Fist****!"** \- magic

**Hey guys, Dom here bringing you a new chapter. Sorry about the late updates, I've been busy with summer stuff and to be perfectly honest, I've been having a bit of writers block. I know it sounds lame and it is super lame but I've kinda been losing the drive I had for writing. That's not to say I'm giving up, cause I ain't doing that. Just means that I need to find something to spark that enthusiasm once again is all. Well you know the deal. Read, Review and PM me if you want. That's enough talking, you came to read right? Well, let's a go.**

* * *

Smoldering Ember - Chapter 5

Carrying a softly breathing Flare on his back, Natsu silently and softly made his way back to his guild's main base of operations. Hidden deep within the mountains in the west of Fiore, it was a mostly unknown and secluded area that nearly none ventured into. Hidden from all maps and even from the minds of the few locals that dotted the area below, was a small but cozy guildhall that was nestled securely in the midst of the mountain range. It was a light teal building with midnight blue trim running along its edges. Though it appeared small and quaint on the outside, it was much more then it seemed on the inside.

(Scene Change- Fiore: Aiuola Mountain Range - Crime Sorcière Guildhall)

Gathered in the main hall, Ultear, Jellal and Meredy could be seen overlooking a map while talking amongst each other. Concern could be seen on their faces as they shot worried looks at each other, Ultear pointing towards a particular region on the map while Jellal shook his head in agreement before circling it and drawing a line, connecting it to another circle which was connected to many others.

"There can't be that many, can there?" Meredy asked in a fearful tone, Jellal and Ultear grimacing as she widened her eyes.

"It's just speculation right now, but from what we've learned it appears likely." Jellal said with a grimace, Ultear and Meredy furrowing their brows in frustration at what was in front of them.

But before they could descend deeper into the depths of despair, the doors to their guild opened up and a familiar head of pink hair could be seen. Their eyes shining, Meredy and Ultear sprang up and were already on their way to embrace the man they adored only to freeze mid-run when they saw the familiar redhead in his arms. The sight alone made them freeze, but when they saw her snuggling against his chest while wearing a blissful and serene smile, their higher cognitive functions froze. However, it was what escaped her throat that caused them to snap out of their stupor.

"Mmm~ Not there Cherry Hair... Lower~" Flare mewled softly as a light shade of pink colored her cheeks, her smile becoming a fuller as she snuggled deeper into his chest.

"W-What!?" They shouted in indignation, startling the other mages in the building as Flare woke up with a jump.

Clutching onto Natsu like a lifeline, she stared with wide eyes filled with fear at the two females staking toward them. However, seeing her bury her face into Natsu's chest only served to fuel their ire as their brows twitched in irritation and jealousy at the sight. As they neared the two, they were met with a mirthful and slightly disappointed look from Natsu. Blushing a bit in embarrassment at their rather loud shout, they looked away and fixed their appearances while Natsu comforted the terrified woman in his arms.

"It's ok Flare, they're not gonna hurt you. I promise." Natsu said in a gentle tone, squeezing the redhead's shoulders for added effect as she tentatively looked up at him.

"P-Promise?" She asked in a tone that betrayed the impression she had made during the Grand Magic Games, seeming to belong to a lost and frightened child then a ruthless mage.

"Cross my heart." He replied in a soft tone, his eyes showing no signs of lies as Ultear and Meredy caught onto the underlying message that he was sending them.

Straightening out their rather disheveled appearances, the two mages gave her a blank faced stare and nod while Jellal walked forward and bowed slightly in greeting. Seeing them greeting her with a bit less anger then before, Flare relaxed a bit and gained a bit more confidence when she felt Natsu hold her shoulders in a comforting manner. Taking a deep albeit shaky breath, she introduced herself to them.

"H-Hello, I-I'm Flare C-Corona." She said in a shaky tone, the three mages in front of her nodding their heads in confirmation.

"Hello Flare-san, I'm Jellal Fernandes, founder and mage of Crime Sorcière." Jellal said in a polite tone as he bowed once again, giving her a small smile to ease her nerves.

"I'm Ultear." Ultear said in a curt tone, giving Flare a level stare as the redhead nodded softly.

"Meredy." The other pinkette said in bland tone, giving Flare a stare that made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

Once introductions were completed, Natsu sat Flare down and explained to his guildmates what her intentions were in coming to their guildhall. A bit surprised that she wanted to join them, they were soon boiling in anger when she told them that she never did want to her Lucy back in the Grand Magic Games. Retelling her story, the story of how she became a mage of Raven Tail, only served to anger the four other mages who were now doing all in their power to comfort her.

"Shh... You're safe now Flare-chan, we won't let anyone else hurt you like that ever again." Meredy said in a soothing tone, rubbing the back of the sobbing redhead she held in her arms.

"They'll pay for this..." Ultear said in a deathly angry tone, her eyes burning with unbridled fury at what she had just heard.

"They will Ultear, give it time but they will atone for their sins one way or another." Jellal said in a frigid tone, his normally amiable and calm eyes now a maelstrom of rage.

Simmering in anger, rage, disgust and horror, the mages of Crime Sorcière had calmed down enough to comfort a still sobbing Flare as the horrid memories that she had just relived flashed through her mind once more. After crying on Meredy's shoulder, the redhead gently lifted her head from the pinkette's shoulder and gave her a grateful look that the pinkette simply smiled and hugged her in return. Wiping the remaining streaks of tears from her eyes, Ultear gave her a comforting hug and reassured her once more that no harm would ever befall her under their watch.

"We will do everything in our power to protect you Flare, so you never have to go through something like that ever again." Ultear said in a gentle and soothing tone, rubbing the younger mage's back in a comforting manner.

"Ultear and Meredy are correct Flare, we would be honored if someone as strong as yourself would join us." Jellal said in a calming tone, Flare's eyes widening when she heard his statement.

"B-But... I-I'm not strong..." She said in a quiet tone only to flinch when she felt Natsu rest his hand on her shoulder, relaxing considerably when he squeezed her softly.

"You're one of the strongest mages I know Flare, not many could go through what you've gone through and still continue on living." He said in a gentle tone, Flare's eyes widening a bit before fresh tears started to fall from her eyes once more.

Turning, she buried her face into Natsu's abdomen and let her sorrows out once more in full. Watching the scene with small smiles on their faces, Jellal was a bit surprised that Meredy and Ultear didn't reprimand the younger mage as they did earlier. However, he knew how fickle the heart of maidens in love were and opted to enjoy the touching scene playing out before her. After letting her tears fall for a few minutes, Flare removed her face from the pinkette and gave him and the others a grateful smile that shone brighter then even Natsu's flames.

"Thank you... All of you..." Flare said in a voice full of gratitude, a radiant smile on her face.

With a much more relaxed Flare, the mages of Crime Sorcière welcomed her with open arms, the redhead shedding more tears of gratitude and happiness at having a guild that actually cared for her person rather then her talents or body. Jellal and Natsu asking her to go with Ultear and Meredy for her guild mark and to wash up, no doubt needing it as her hair wasn't as glossy as it was during the games.

"Oh Natsu~ Could you please warm the spring for us!" Ultear called out from inside of the changing room as Natsu sighed in response, knowing what was going to happen.

"Sure thing Ul." He called back as he went towards the springs, passing through the men's side.

(Scene Change- Fiore: Aiuola Mountain Range - Crime Sorcière Guild Springs)

Arriving in a hollowed out cavern in the back of the guildhall, it was a large and spacey area that held a large spring and area for the members of Crime Sorcière to bathe and wash up inside of. Nearing the water, Natsu knew what was going to happen and opted to just let it as resistance was truly futile. Placing his hands into the water, he let his magic flow as his fists ignited underwater. Slowly, the water started to bubble a bit before steam slowly started rising from its surface.

"That should do it." Natsu said in a satisfied tone, removing his hands from the water before evaporating the excess that clung to him.

But just as he was about to turn to leave, he was shoved into the water by a towel clad and laughing Meredy before she jumped in after him. Muttering something underneath his breath, he was promptly pounced upon by a towel clad Ultear who clung to him and proceeded to press her "assets" into him. Stiffening a bit, Natsu was about to retort when he was pulled away by a cutely pouting Meredy who latched onto him. Soon a game of tug of war broke out with Natsu acting as the rope, the two female mages with him glaring at each other as lightning connected stares.

"Ul, let go! Natsu promised me that he'd wash my back!" Meredy shouted as Ultear narrowed her eyes at her, opting to pull harder then before.

"Oh did he now? Well Natsu promised to wash my hair for me!" Ultear countered as Meredy glowered at her, the battle picking up once again as Natsu quested the universe for his fate.

"U-Umm, c-can I join in too?" A meek voice asked, the two pausing in their battle to glance at the timid form of Flare.

"Huh?"

"What?"

The two quipped as they blinked at her statement, Flare looking shyly at Natsu's soaked form before blushing when she caught sight of a droplet of water running down his abdomen. When the two saw her reaction, they immediately went on the defensive as they shielded Natsu from her gaze. Narrowing their eyes at her, they glanced at each other briefly and called for a temporary truce before returning their gaze to Flare.

"I'm sorry Flare-chan, but I've already got a rival, even if she's not really that much of a rival given her age." Meredy said as Ultear's brow twitched in a mix of irritation and anger at the jibe.

"A-As much as I hate to admit it, I also have to agree with Meredy, Flare. I've got a rival as well, though, she's more like a child with a puppy crush then anything." Ultear added as Meredy gained a tick mark, clenching her fist at the jab.

Turning towards each other, they started quarreling once more as they shot rather low blows at each other. Meredy commenting on Ultear's age while Ultear shot back by attacking Meredy's lack of knowledge about love. But when they heard a mewl of pleasure, they snapped their heads towards its source and promptly dropped their jaws when they saw Flare shivering and squirming in pleasure and happiness as Natsu gently ran his hand through her hair to rid it of knots and shampoo.

"Mmm... Cherry Hair, that feels really good~!" Flare moaned as her hands moved from holding her shoulders to her lap, more pink invading her cheeks as her breath started to quicken.

"Ah~!" She suddenly cried out when Natsu's fingers brushed against her neck, her back arching while her face flushed even more as breathing became a labored.

"Ah, sorry about that Flare!" Natsu quickly apologized, Flare shaking her head in the negative while panting.

"N-No, Cherry Hair! It just felt r-really g-good." Flare admitted as she leaned into him, Meredy and Ultear blanking out as their entire body went pale.

"That so? Haha, well I'm glad I guess." Natsu said with a soft laugh, Flare shivering in pleasure when she felt his chest reverberate against her back.

"N-Natsu!" Meredy and Ultear shouted in indignation, the two pouncing on the other two in the springs.

Soon laughter and a bit of shouting could be heard echoing from the springs as Meredy, Ultear and a coerced Flare tried to strip Natsu of the clothes that he was wearing. Unfortunately for them, the Dragon Slayer escaped, removing his shirt as a distraction. The sight of his bare upper body providing enough eye candy to stall the minds of the three long enough for him to channel magic to his legs and escape, leaving behind a smoldering trail of fire. When they snapped out of their stupor, they blinked before glancing around for the shirtless pinkette before seeing the smoldering trail of fire, glowering at the lost of eye candy.

"Next time... Next time for sure..." Meredy said in a slightly scary tone, rubbing her hands together.

"We won't fail next time." Ultear said in a determined tone, her eyes brimming with confidence.

Glancing between the two, Flare couldn't stand it any longer and let a demure giggle escape her lips as Meredy and Ultear looked at her in surprise. Soon, her giggling became a bit louder as the two smiled brightly at her, joining in as they started laughing and giggling together at what had just happened. As they started to bond together as guildmates and friends, they relaxed and found the company of the redhead to be not only natural but comforting as well.

Appearing outside, Natsu let a sigh escape his throat before a smile made its face to his face. Shaking his head, he walked out of the men's side and into the main hall where an amused Jellal smirked at him. Seeing that smirk made Natsu's smile fall only for a grin to replace it as Jellal returned the gesture. Taking a seat next to the bluenette, he poured the two of them a drink and toasted to a new friend and ally.

"Seems like Flare is settling in rather nicely don't you think Natsu?" Jellal asked in a mirthful tone, his eyes shining as Natsu smirked.

"Yeah, I was a bit scared that Meredy and Ul would give her the cold shoulder because of their feelings but I'm glad I was wrong." He admitted as Jellal smiled and patted him on the back, the sound of the three female mages' giggling softly filling the guildhall.

"Things can only go up from now, though..." Jellal trailed off, his tone becoming a bit more serious as Natsu's own smile fell as well.

"Yeah, I'm going to check it out. Flare will most likely be accompanying me when we tell her and the others about it." Natsu said as Jellal looked at him with a bit of confusion marring his face, Natsu telling him that it was something about her past.

"Let's just hope it isn't something too serious, I believe that we've already had enough happen in the past few months." Jellal said as Natsu idly sipped on his drink, as he glanced at his bandaged left arm.

"I've got a feeling that we won't be so lucky Jellal." Natsu quipped as Jellal released a resigned sigh at the statement, placing his hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"No matter what happens, we'll always be friends Natsu." Jellal reassured him, the pinkette giving him a smile that was returned tenfold.

"The best of friends Jellal." Natsu added as they grinned at each other, clicking their glasses together once more before downing the rest of their drinks.

"What! They look even bigger then mine!"

"Your's?! Mine were always bigger, it's more surprising that they seem larger then mine!"

"D-Does Cherry Hair l-like them b-big?"

"S-Size isn't everything Flare-chan!"

"J-Just because they're big doesn't mean anything!"

The sounds of shouting, splashing and groping filling the guildhall, Natsu and Jellal were doing their best to keep straight faces though the tints of pink on their faces betrayed their thoughts. It wasn't until they heard the trio suggest that they have someone trustworthy determine who was bigger then the others. Standing up from their seats, they quickly exited the guildhall as the sounds of running and commotion echoed from the women's side of the bathhouse.

"We got lucky..." Jellal said in a slightly winded manner as he leaned against a wall to catch his breath, throwing a few nervous looks behind them.

"You got that right Jellal..." Natsu added as he wiped the sweat from his brow, glancing back every now and then to ensure that they weren't being followed.

Seeing that they were in the clear, they faced each other once more and smirked at the other. Then their smirks turned to smiles, which turned to grins. Finally, the two started laughing at the new energy that their guildhall had gained. Spending a few seconds laughing, they turned and started their trek back to their guild, smiles on their faces.

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town)

Lucy walks home to find Erza, Wendy, and Carla inside with candy to offer from their mission. They contemplate Happy and Gray's location and eventually head to the site of their mission, finding the two arguing about Natsu. Erza attempts to stop their fight but is unrecognized and receives a punch to her face from both of them; angered, she punishes them and brings them back to the guild with rest of the team. At the guild, Makarov is handed a new mission from Mirajane for Gray; reading through it, he becomes increasingly frantic and tells the two mages to not fail, as it is a personal request from the fourth-rank Wizard Saint, Warrod Sequen

(Time Skip - A Day Later)

Accompanied by their teammates, the team of Lucy, Gray, Erza, Wendy, Carla and Happy promptly head out to discuss their mission with their client. They encounter Warrod Sequen in a rusty-looking house where he elaborates on the details of his Job request. Warrod explains that while on a mission to afforest the deserts on the continent, he stumbles upon the Sun Village, only to find the village and its inhabitants frozen alive in a mysterious ice; because he cannot save them himself, he wants the team to accomplish the task for him. The Fairy Tail mages accept his request and are escorted to the village itself through the use of Warrod's magic.

(Scene Change- Fiore: Aiuola Mountain Range - Crime Sorcière Guildhall)

Gathered around the main hall were Meredy, Ultear, Flare, Jellal and Natsu, the three female mages looking a bit apprehensive given Natsu and Jellal's unusually serious expressions. Nodding at each other, Jellal let a bit of magic flow into the projection lacrima as a detailed map of Fiore appeared before them. Focusing it, a gasp left Flare's mouth when it fell upon Sun Village. A bit confused as to why they were being shown the town, it was made apparent when they saw that it was completely incased in ice, a stark contrast to its name.

"No..." Flare whispered as she stared with eyes wide with disbelief at what she was seeing.

"That's what I'm sending Natsu to investigate Flare, the reason as to why Sun Village has completely frozen over." Jellal explained as Natsu nodded his head in confirmation.

"We're not completely sure about the situation but from what we've managed to find out, it was said that it was completely frozen over in an instant. That alone is a cause for concern." Natsu continued as the others nodded, Flare still in a bit of shock at seeing what had happened to her home.

"While I'm investigating what happened to the village, the rest of you will be assisting Jellal with what he's researching." Natsu explained as the others nodded once more, though as he had told Jellal, Flare opposed the idea of not being able to check on her home town.

"N-No! I want, no, need to go too Cherry Hair!" Flare said in a demanding yet desperate tone, Natsu turning to Jellal who simply nodded his head.

"Alright then, but Flare. You will need to go ahead without Natsu assisting you, can you do that?" Jellal explained as he debriefed her, Flare tensing but eventually resolving herself and nodding.

"Good, then we're all good to go. Natsu, Flare, go prepare. Meredy, Ultear, you two are with me. Let's ensure that nothing happen to the innocent and above all else, let's make sure that Flare's hometown is safe." Jellal said as Flare's eyes widened at his statement before closing softly in gratitude.

With that, Crime Sorcière split up once again, Flare heading towards her home, Natsu heading towards his room while the trio of Meredy, Ultear and Jellal headed towards the archives. With Natsu, he released a sigh as he stripped himself down, grimacing when he saw the corrupt looking black mark that was slowly starting to spread across more of his left arm. Feeling the evil magic emanating off of it, he began bandaging it with the same magic suppressing bandages that he had on from before.

"It's getting worse..." He muttered under his breath, finishing bandaging his arm as a bit of ice formed in his stomach.

Once he finished bandaging the entirety of his left arm, he went to his closest to change his attire. Donning a sleeveless tight black muscle shirt that showed off his physique, he matched it with a pair of black combat pants and boots. Hanging loosely around his waist was a crimson belt with a silver buckle in the visage of a dragon, a number of small canisters attached to the belt near his right hip. He finished off his outfit with his scaly white scarf and his cloak with his guild's insignia on the back.

"Let's get going." He whispered as he requiped a shoulder bag and headed towards Sun Village.

(Scene Change - Sun Village: Outskirts)

Upon arriving at the village, the Fairies notice that the village is truly encased in ice, including the weapon-wielding giants within the premises; upon seeing them, Gray is reminded of his past, causing him to feel uncomfortable; when inquired by Lucy he explains that the situation reminds him of the Galuna Island incident years ago. Suddenly, a trio of men appear from a cliff and identify themselves as treasure hunters of Sylph Labyrinth and that they are searching for the village's eternal flame. They provoke the Fairy Tail mages' interests with a bottle of "**Moon Drip**" before running off. Erza promptly sends everyone to chase after the men while she investigates the village further. Meanwhile, Minerva, now a member of Succubus Eye, discusses her next action in the Sun Village with her new teammate.

Gray and his teammates continue to chase the treasure hunters in hopes of obtaining the "**Moon Drip**" bottle, though the men stand their ground and refuse to surrender to the mages; however, they soon grow tired of the chase and resort to fighting. The three treasure hunters respectively split into separate battles with Gray, and Lucy and Wendy.

Just as Gray is about to attack first, he is quickly forced to move back in order to avoid being smashed by Lala's gigantic fist-shaped hammer. Lucy is surprised by his use of a hand-shaped weapon but Gray is undeterred and begins to attack, only to stop when Lucy summons Taurus. He charges Lala to attack with his ax, however, this is blocked by the now-open fist acting like a shield to parry the blow. With Taurus off guard, Lala is able to clench the hammer into a fist once again and attack, sending the spirit flying back and crashing into a rock.

Gray unleashes his **Ice-Make: Freeze Lancer** at Treasure Hunter Hiroshi, who destroys the ice with his **Super Slash**, much to Gray's surprise. Hiroshi then changes his blade into a chainsaw and directs its stab attack at Gray, who narrowly dodges. Lucy and Wendy avoid the attack as well, which destroys a tree behind the two of them. Suddenly, Wendy senses danger and pushes Lucy to the ground. Lucy is shocked as she realizes the two of them narrowly avoided a bullet fired by a sniper. Up above the battlefield, Drake comments on their quick dodge but tells them he'll put the next bullet in their head.

The echo of the area prevents his location from being ascertained but using her keen sense of smell, Wendy points out his location to Lucy, following which the Celestial Spirit mage summons Sagittarius, who states he will take care of the sniper. The two projectile users fire their weapons at one another but wind up in a stalemate as Drake's bullet destroys Sagittarius' arrow and is destroyed in the process. Seeing that they are surprised that he hit the arrow, Drake tells the mages not to underestimate a genius sniper.

As the battles rage on, the Fairy Tail mages are forced to admit that their opponents are more skilled than they had thought. Gray expresses this to them, stating that they're quite good considering that they can't use magic. Hiroshi tells him not to think of Sylph Labyrinth as any simple Treasure Hunter Guild, stating that they were the winners of the Daihihou Enbu and are recognized as the strongest of Treasure Hunter Guilds. The Fairy Tail mages are amazed that such a competition exists in the world of Treasure Hunters, following which Drake tells them that random mages cannot compete with them.

Gray retorts that they are not random mages and reveals the vial of **Moon Drip** in his hand, showing that he used his **Ice-Make: Thieving Hand** to take it off them when they weren't looking. Seeing this, Hiroshi and Lala call for Drake to shoot him, while Lucy calls out to Sagittarius. Following this, the bullet fired by Drake is blocked by Sagittarius' arrow. Hiroshi attempts to take back the vial from Gray by force and attacks. Gray, stating that they will be keeping the vial to save the giants, jumps into the air to avoid the attack and throws the vial to Wendy, who catches it just as Lala attacks him with his hammer once again. Wendy tosses the vial to Lucy, who manages to catch it. As the fighting goes on, Lucy tosses it back to Wendy who tosses the vial to Carla, who is fired upon by Hiroshi as he turns his chainsaw sword into a gun. As she struggles to escape, Carla tosses the vial to Happy, who fails to catch it and allows it to shatter upon hitting the ground, much to everyone's utter shock.

As Happy begins crying and apologizing for having broken the bottle, the Treasure Hunters angrily berate the mages for their actions. However, Lucy points out that the bottle broke but only melted the ice where it landed, causing Gray to firmly state that such a small amount of **Moon Drip** was never enough to save the village. Hearing this, Hiroshi and Lala fret over their doomed-to-fail plan of obtaining the Eternal Flame. While Happy asks to be punished for his failure, ignores him and puts his ear to the ground after clearing it. Concentrating, Gray states that he can hear someone's voice as if someone were calling out. Happy does the same but is unable to hear anything at all. Suspecting that they are in a certain direction, Gray takes off while his friends follow him from behind. Realizing that they've been left behind, the Treasure Hunters decide to follow as well and take Lucy's Golden Key for themselves, not wanting to go back to their guild empty-handed.

The liquid melts into the ice from which it broke upon, which Gray inspects and discovers that he is able to hear voices through the opening; immediately, he heads in the direction of the voices with his allies following him, and he encounters a man who ultimately transforms Gray into a child himself. Gray attempts to fight the new enemy but discovers that with his age reversion, his powers have also severely regressed and is forced to retreat.

Concurrently, after her teammates have left to pursue Sylph Labyrinth, Erza hypothesizes that the Eternal Flame can be found in the opposite direction of the giants of the village. She hurries in the appropriate direction only to come to a dead end at a mountain peak. As Erza turns to head back, she finds her clothes slipping from her body and discovers that she has promptly turned into a child. As she contemplates on what to do about her situation, She finds that she is still able to utilize magic albeit weakly. While trying to adapt to her form, she discovers Minerva behind her and that the young woman has since regressed to joining a Dark Guild.

(Scene Change - Sun Village: Wendy and Lucy's Location)

Because of Gray's disappearance in the follow-up, Lucy and Wendy have the Exceeds search for him from the skies while the girls continue their search on land. They are suddenly attacked by the treasure hunters again, who are now intent on taking Lucy's Celestial Spirit Gate Keys. The girls are reluctant to fight but end up doing so anyways when Wendy becomes enraged with their evident disregard for the giants' lives.

The Sky Dragon Slayer releases a powerful roar encompassed by her element, blowing Hiroshi back and causing Lala to hang from a tree with his Stronger supporting him. Sighing, Wendy admits that she formerly had no intentions in engaging in combat, but becoming aware of the hunters' drift she claims that they shall be stopped. Lucy, standing next to Wendy, percents herself and Wendy as their opponents in order to protect the villagers from further damage at the hands of the hunters.

Hiroshi claims that the situation is super, saying that the women and treasure shall soon be their. Lala, on the other hand, says that they don't need the women; rather they should be killed. A shot is fired from an unknown location, nearly hitting Wendy and Lucy. Drake, hiding, takes note of the current standings and takes advantage of Wendy's, who tripped, disadvantage to fire another shot. However, crimson hair intercepts the bullet before it can reach its target, the owner having a cloak covering their visage.

"F-Flare?!"

"F-Flare-s-san!?"

Lucy and Wendy shouted in shock at seeing the redhead once again when she lowered her hood, wariness and a bit of apprehension in their voices. Ignoring them, she leveled a harsh glare at the three members of Sylph Labyrinth, a shiver running down their spines. A few seconds passed before Wendy and Lucy snapped out of theirs stupor, voicing the questions that swam through their minds.

"Who's this chick!?" Hiroshi shouted as he glared back at the redhead.

"Another ally of theirs?" Lala asked to no one in particular.

"I will not forgive you..." Flare said in an enraged tone, her personality very different from her previous seemingly unstable one.

"Um... T-Thank you very much." Wendy said in a slightly relieved tone, doing her best to smile at the redhead.

"Flare, what are you doing in a place like this?!" Lucy asked as Flare turned to face her before returning her attention to the three treasure hunters.

"I... I couldn't stand by while something happened to my home..." Flare said in a soft but firm tone, the eyes of the two opening when they heard her statement.

"But when I come back... I find that all of the village people... my people... I won't forgive you." Flare said in a barely controlled tone, her eyes boiling with rage.

"We aren't the ones who froze those guys!" Hiroshi shouted in indignation, a tick mark visible on his head.

"We just duun came for the Eternal Flame!" Lala added, Flare's head lowering at his statement.

"That's not any better! The Eternal Flame is an important protector of my village! I won't let anyone sully it!" Flare shouted as she let her hair fly freely towards them, the eyes of the two widening at the sudden action.

Lala, amazed by the hair's rapid growth, is told to stand back by Hiroshi as he grabs his weapon and cuts her hair into many pieces. Flare looks at him in complete shock as she retracts her hair. Lucy quickly summons Cancer, who rapidly tells the present mages to leave anything regarding hair to him. He positions himself behind Flare and begins to treat her hair with his diverse skills. Murmuring Lucy's name, Flare turns around and hears Lucy claim; they will protect the giants together, with Wendy backing her up as Flare blushes and smiles happily.

Using her hair once again, Flare announces her return by attacking Hiroshi simultaneously. Lala jumps up in the air holding his Stronger, ready to attack Wendy. Wendy, surprisingly, matches the weapon's force with her **Sky Dragon's Claw** attack head on. Elsewhere, Lucy tells Sagittarius to stay on high alert for Drake, the sniper, with Sagittarius assuring her to leave it to him.

Brainstorming an idea, Lucy calls on Virgo, and tells her, her plan to attack Drake from behind by digging a hole through the ground. Praising her plan, Virgo quickly dives down but is unable to penetrate the thick ice surrounding the ground. Informing Lucy that she is unable to dig a hole, Virgo states that the ice has special magical properties preventing her from pricing through.

Meanwhile, Sagittarius is shot by Drake and soon enough returns to the Celestial Spirit World. From above, Drake claims that it's his win, explaining that modern technology will always be superior and that if underestimated it shall lead to the opponent's downfall. Flare continues to struggle against Hiroshi, using her **Hair Shower - Wolf Fang**, but it is turn to shreds by Hiroshi's weapon.

Hiroshi continues to hold the upper hand, claiming that a sword will always top hair. Flare looks at her falling hair and reminds herself that it is her pride and something which she received from the Eternal Flame, sequentially using her **Hair Shower - Firefly Flame** against Hiroshi, who is send back by the spell's force.

Lala continues his fight with Wendy, who kicks him in the face. Now furious, he grabs his weapon and captures Wendy and tells her that she will never muster enough strength to escape his grip. Lucy hurries to help Wendy, but is stopped by a shot from above, causing her to fall. Flare, looking at this, is unable to help them as she herself has her hair tangled around a nearby tree by Hiroshi's Treasure Hunter skill, knot tying.

Already calling it their victory, Hiroshi laughs as Lala and Drake keep watch of the girls. At the same time, the female mages struggle to counterattack. Hiroshi then looks down on them and affirms that it's ten years too early for mages such as the likes of them to be picking fights with hunters of their skills. Additionally, he claims that women like them should know their place and simply shake their buttocks for men like them, asking them to do said action now.

Lucy angrily looks at the ground and calls them idiots, with Wendy and Flare getting ready to attack their respective opponents; whilst grinning. Lucy smiles devilish and informs them that it is a hundred years too early for people like them to pick fights with mages like them. Wendy utilizes her Arms spell to break free from Lala's hold, undoubtedly shocking him. At the same time, Flare states that tying her hair down is useless as she can simply elongate it, and entangles Hiroshi under a strong hold. Drake takes note of this and readies for another attack, but is found by Lucy's Celestial Spirit, Loke.

Blushing, Lucy joyously notes Loke's arrival to Drake's location. Loke then throws Drake down from the cliff and alarms Lucy, with Drake screaming in fear along the way. Concurrently, Wendy prepares her finishing blow against Lala, calling forth her Sky Dragon Slayer magic and employing her **Sky Dragon's Wing Attack**; sending him flying off into the sky. Flare uses her extremely increased hair to attack Hiroshi and send him towards the same path Wendy sent Lala. Not a second later, Lucy and Virgo both use their respective **Lucy Kick** and **Virgo Kick** to both defeat and send Drake flying off towards the sky in the same direction as the other two. Watching as they blast off, Lucy happily enjoys the moment, whilst Wendy catches her breath.

Approaching Flare and gracefully declaring their victory, Lucy is greeted by genuine smile and response by the sun villager. The three female mages relax and chat now that Sylph Labyrinth is out of their way, with Flare admitting that, as a villager of Sun Village, she is well aware of the Eternal Flame's location, prompting her to believe that it could possibly melt the giants and the village itself.

(Scene Change - Sun Village: Erza's Location)

In the midst of the battle, Erza faces the explosions caused by Minerva's **Territory Magic**. Minerva is overjoyed to see Erza in such state and continues attacking her with kicks, wanting to forget the humiliation from the Grand Magic Games this way. Knowing that she has no chance in her current state, Erza wonders if the only way to turn back into her former form is to defeat the caster.

(Scene Change - Sun Village: Gray's Location)

Suddenly distraught by memories of his childhood, as well as the resemblance of his current opponent to that of Deliora, Gray screams in terror just as the demonic man arrives. The man tells Gray that those turned into kids by his magic may remember their childhood occurrences but he doesn't care. Held by the neck, Gray is told that he is on one side of the gate to the underworld and must never go across it, but does not listen. Suddenly, he hears a voice which tells him that Deliora is gone. Though he tries to rationalize his fears, the voice tells him to be strong for his friends. Recognizing that the voice as Ultear's, Gray freezes the man's hands, freeing himself. Thinking about how parts of his past all seem to be in the present, Gray asks the man if he was the one who froze the village. As the man says that he is, Gray criticizes his use of **Ice Magic** and states he will show him what real **Ice Magic** can do.

Hearing Gray's proclamation, Doriate is perplexed and tells the child-bodied mage that the **Law of Retrogression** magic does not give back one's youth, but rather, it decreases their power, speed, stamina and magic. As he is about to tell Gray to simply give up, Doriate takes a step back and finds himself standing on an ice-made extension of the cliff created by Gray back when Doriate took a step backwards. Destroying the extension, Gray causes Doriate to fall off the cliff and land on his bottom. Asked when he did so, Gray states that not all of his abilities have been lowered and his imagination has actually been increased, thus allowing him to use his **Ice-Make** magic to its fullest extent.

As Doriate climbs back up the cliff and looks around, he does not see Gray anywhere and calls out to him. From beneath, Gray calls out to him, revealing that he created a layer of transparent ice. Dissolving the ice, Doriate falls on a frozen bush, injuring him while Gray creates and **Ice-Make: Hammer**. However, its diminutive size forces Gray to turn it into a pile of snow, bringing Doriate chills. Noticing this, Gray tells Doriate that he now knows he didn't freeze the village as he said he did, as someone using Ice magic would not feel the cold the way he does. Realizing through this that Doriate simply turns his opponents into children so he has an easy time beating them, Gray criticizes his strength.

With that, Gray suddenly finds his body returned to normal, much to his surprise. Suddenly, a snarling Doriate makes a jump for Gray, which he closely dodges. Taunting him about the cancellation of his magic, Gray is suddenly punched to the ground. Taking a look at Doriate once again, Gray notices a significant change in his appearance, questioning for a moment whether it is a spell similar to Mirajane's **Satan Soul** before realizing that it is different.

Remembering Deliora, Gray realizes that Doriate has turned into a Demon from the Book of Zeref. Shocked by his transformation, Gray is unable to retaliate as he is knocked into the ground by Doriate. Sending sound waves into the sky, Doriate activates his **Law of Retrogression** magic once again, this time turning not only Gray, but everyone in the Sun Village into kids.

(Scene Change - Sun Village: Erza's Location)

Later, Erza finds herself lying on the ground with Minerva above, pointing a sword at her. However, before Minerva delivers the finishing blow, she wants to hear Erza's screams and plea for mercy. Erza ignores this and states that Minerva has lost all her pride as a mage, as magic is something to be used for one's friends. She tells her that it's still not too late to escape the darkness, angering Minerva with this statement. Minerva readies to kill Erza, but suddenly, Erza's body changes back to its original form and she evades the attack, kicking Minerva in process.

The Dark mage wonders if her partner was defeated, but then states that killing Erza just like that wouldn't satisfying. She smiles, knowing that she has means of countering Erza's **Nakagami Armor** and then mocks Erza for missing lower part of her clothes. Erza returns the favor and unveils that she snatched part of Minerva's attire while escaping, which revealed her underwear. Minerva gives Erza an angry expression, with the latter stating that it wasn't on purpose.

(Scene Change - Sun Village: Wendy, Lucy and Flare's Location)

Approaching Flare and gracefully declaring their victory, Lucy is greeted by genuine smile and response by the sun villager. The three female Mages relax and chat now that Sylph Labyrinth is out of their way, with Flare admitting that, as a villager of Sun Village, she is well aware of the Eternal Flame's location, prompting her to believe that it could possibly melt the giants and the village itself. Traveling along the way, the girls get turned into children by a Mage, with Flare and Lucy both commenting on their appealing appearances; Wendy solely watches the two in disbelief.

(Scene Change - Sun Village: Gray's Location)

Suddenly, Happy and Carla fall from the sky, having also been turned into kids. Seeing Doriate, the two Exceed wonder if he was the one who turned everyone into kids. As Doriate charges forward, Gray steps up to confront him and fires several attacks at him but finds that they are ineffective. Further attempting to eliminate his mobility by freezing his feet to the ground, Gray finds this fruitless as well as Doriate breaks free easily and subsequently delivers a powerful kick, sending the Fairy Tail mage flying.

Having taken heavy damage from the blow, Gray struggles to get up as he remembers what Doriate said about the **Law of Retrogression's** effects, noting to himself that Doriate is still getting stronger and if he takes another such hit he will be done for. As Doriate jumps at an immobile Gray, the child-bodied mage attempts to think of a plan and remembers the surrounding ice in the village. Just as Doriate's fist is about to make contact with Gray, Happy and Carla carry the Ice mage out of harm's way, despite their limitations on flight keeping them close to the ground, something Gray notices.

Remembering that though his ice didn't directly hurt him, some frozen bushes did, Gray theorizes that the ice covering the village is Doriate's weakness given how he avoids it instinctively despite being a rampaging beast. Knowing that he needs to hit him with said ice, Gray narrowly avoids another hit while thinking of a plan. Remembering that the ice was reminiscent of Deliora, Gray realizes that his earlier failures to work with it were simply the result of his own intimidation and that he can now do it. Putting his hand on the ground, Gray prepares to use his own body as a vessel, thus shooting the ice of the village through his body at Doriate, thus defeating him and returning everyone to their normal bodies.

As the defeated Doriate himself reverts to his original form, Gray is approached by Happy and Carla as he wonders about the magic, noting that while there has been no change in it, Doriate's Demon form worries him more. At this, Doriate looks at Gray and begins laughing, telling him he opened the gates to the underworld and cannot close it just as he is eaten by a large creature, much to everyone's shock. As the creature turns its attention to the Fairy Tail Mages, the three of them quickly escape and make a run for it when the creature continues its pursuit. Eventually coming across their guildmates and Flare, Gray calls out to them while running. Unable to fight back due to lacking magic Power at the moment, Gray is told that the giant mountain in the area is the Eternal Flame of the Village.

"W-What do we do!?" Lucy shouted as the creature continued to pursue them, her friends having no other words to add in as they were panting heavily themselves.

But as they rounded a corner, they were caught by the creature that was chasing them. Panicking, they were about to throw Happy as a distraction when the temperature of the area skyrocketed. Their eyes widening, they were stunned silent when they saw the creature get devoured by a thick beam of concentrated fire. Their jaws dropping as they saw the creature get reduced to ashes, they turned and dropped their jaws more when they saw that it was an all too familiar pinkette.

"Natsu!" Happy shouted as he tackled the pinkette once again, snuggling against his chest as he enjoyed the warmth he was radiating.

Ignoring him he turned to as Gray approaches the Flame and decides to try manipulating the ice around the flame; his method succeeds and the ice starts to disappear, although it ultimately causes the Flame to disappear. Wendy confirms that Flame is still present using **Milky Way** albeit weakly. Natsu uses his magic on the Flame, causing it to glow brightly. From the fire emerges the Dragon Atlas Flame who greets Natsu as the son of Igneel.

(Scene Change - Sun Village: Erza's Location)

When they see the revival of Atlas Flame's spirit and ultimately the village's revival, Minerva becomes considerably annoyed, however, upon seeing a giant noticing them, she decides to flee. Erza attempts to talk to her, stating that Minerva shouldn't let the darkness corrupt her, however, Minerva proclaims that her darkness will be what corrupts the world instead.

(Scene Change - Sun Village: Natsu, Flare, Wendy, Lucy, Happy, Carla and Gray's Location)

Everyone, however, is shocked to see what lies inside of the Eternal Flame, most notably Wendy and Natsu, the former of whom kneels and clasps her hands together, using **Milky Way**, saying she saying the she finally understands. Natsu, however, unlike the other, smiles softly at the revelation that the Eternal Flame is none other than his Dragon companion from the events of the Fated Day, Atlas Flame, who greets the son of Igneel like an old friend after 400 years of being apart.

Everyone recognizes the Dragon to be one of the seven that entered the past via the Eclipse Gate; Atlas, upon hearing Carla state that he should have gone back 400 years in time, states that his flames have continued to burn strong for 400 years. Happy to see his friend, Natsu asks Atlas if he's alive, though he replies that that isn't entirely correct. Wendy then interjects, explaining that Atlas' current state is only visible to them due to her own **Milky Way** spell. Puzzled, Atlas puts his claw to his chin and slowly states that he is no longer of this world, but then curiously adds that that is something from the distant past; he notes that his memory is in pieces, an occurrence attributed to his spirit being frozen in the ice.

Hearing the word "ice", Atlas' memory begins to come back to him, with his first memory being that "the world", or rather, the Sun Village, was frozen. With his story being asked for telling, Atlas shamefully recalls his defeat at the hands of the single human who froze his "world". This fact shocks those present, Gray in particular, and Atlas explains that the human thought that Atlas was a "Demon" instead of a "Dragon", and therefore froze the entire village to eradicate him; Atlas states that the Mage was an Exorcist Mage, a Devil Slayer, a fact which only adds on to the shock of the situation.

Atlas, however, tries to recall once more what he was, and upon hearing Flare's plea that he, the guardian of the Sun Village, restore his home and people to normal, Atlas states his name and the fact that he created the Sun Village. Adding that his village's misfortune and sorrow are his pain and tears, as well as that with his final lingering sentiment and the flames of Igneel's son, he will set the village free. Shouting that he is The Flame Dragon and the Guardian Dragon of the village, Atlas releases a flurry of flames that thaws the entire village and its inhabitants. Disappearing into the fire, Atlas lists several important terms: Igneel, Dragon King, Acnologia and Zeref; Atlas tells Natsu that he remembers everything: 400 years ago, Igneel was unable to destroy Zeref's most vile Demon: E.N.D., leaving Natsu frowning unbeknownst to the others.

Soon after, the Giants make a joking remark about their saving at the hands of "pipsqueaks", earning them remarks in return. Erza Scarlet then asks the Giants what happened, though Lucy explains that they were frozen by an Ice Devil Slayer; the Giants state that they picked up their weapons to fight, but don't remember anything past that. Lucy continues by explaining that Atlas Flame was the Eternal Flame and that he was mistaken for a Demon and frozen, prompting Erza to state that such a horrible assumption makes for a feeble excuse. Gray, however, chimes in and states his motives are still, at this point, indiscernible, and that the Devil Slayer was most likely from Tartaros, as Succubus Eye is one of their subordinate Dark Guilds, meaning that they were most likely ordered to keep people out of the Sun Village until further notice.

(Scene Change - Succubus Eye Guildhall)

Minerva then returns to the HQ of Succubus Eye and is shocked to see the destruction, with nobody being around. She picks up a scorched paper doll, wondering what it is. Suddenly, she is approached by a mysterious someone, who tells Minerva that it's a person turned into such form because they were unable to withstand the strengthening Magic. She reveals herself to be one of the Tartaros' Nine Demon Gates, Kyoka. Minerva thinks that Tartaros is here because they failed at Sun Village, however, Kyoka claims she's here because of the orders to gather troops. As Minerva asks whether Kyoka is an idiot for killing everyone instead, Kyoka replies that those who cannot face her Magic are not needed. She questions whether Minerva will end up the same way, with the latter pleading the former in fear to stop.

(Scene Change - Sun Village: Town Center)

Though Wendy and Carla find themselves unable to find another reason as to why the man would freeze the village, Gray states that their job is done; Lucy notices that Flare is missing, however she quickly finds her hiding behind a tree. The Giants, upon hearing her name, seemingly ascend into a rage, loudly asking if she is truly present. Though Lucy coaxes her out of hiding under the presumption that the Giants won't be angry with her abrupt departure, the gaze of one makes her think otherwise. The Giants soon begin to marvel at her increase in size, though the make the point that she is still much smaller than they are. She is then asked by one giant about how the outside world was, to which Flare responds that it was both fun and scary at the same time; the Giants smile upon hearing this. The giant then leans down and smiles at Flare, stating that such things will always be true no matter where you are in the world. The other Giants then chime in, saying that independence is good and that the Sun Village will always be her home. Now all smiling, the Giants warmly welcome Flare home, prompting her to smile back in the utmost happiness. The Fairy Tail Mages then party with the Giants until morning, forgetting all about both the Devil Slayer and E.N.D.

With the Crime Sorcière mages, they could be seen observing the celebrations with varying expressions. Flare had a beautiful smile on her face while Natsu was deep in thought. Seeing him off in his own world, Flare blushed a bit and checked the surrounding area before gently taking a hold of Natsu and leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss on softly on the lips, breaking him out of his little trance. Blinking in surprise, he looked down at Flare's flushed face and could only smile at her as he hugged her tightly, the redhead flushing deeper before settling into his embrace.

"We did it Flare, you did it." He said in a proud tone, Flare's eyes widening before they closed softly.

"Thank you Cherry Hair... For everything..." She whispered as she gave him another soft kiss, only this time shouts could be heard as they parted.

"W-What are you two doing!?" Lucy shouted with a face as red as Erza's hair, anger and confusion filling her system.

"N-N-Natsu-san and F-F-Flare-san were k-k-kissing...!" Wendy squeaked with a red face, her eyes swirling as she started to overheat.

"Natsu!" Erza roared with a tone mixed with anger, betrayal and confusion, stomping towards the pair.

When she got to them, she grabbed Natsu by the collar and started shaking him violently while shouting at him about adultery and responsibility. Watching with fear filled eyes was a shaking Flare who opted to remain silent when Erza shot her a glare that could even kill a dragon should she focus on it. But it wasn't until the thunderous booms of footsteps made it to them that they turned around, Natsu sweating a bit when he saw the angered, curious, mirthful, enraged and challenging faces of multiple giants looking down at him.

"**So, you're our little Flare's man huh?**"

"**I don't approve, I will not hand her over to some weak looking pink haired brat like you!**"

"**What can you offer our Flare that we can't?!**"

"**No! Absolutely not! I will not have someone with pink hair as my son-in-law!**"

"**Our little Flare is growing up! I'm so proud!**"

"**Haha! Do be careful now, we don't want grandchildren so early you know!**"

The ladies present turning crimson at the statements, they began to let their imagination flow freely as a myriad of rather vivid images danced through their minds. For Natsu however, he was subjected to a number of tests that were forced upon him by the giants. They ranged from arm wrestling, foot races, tree cutting and trivia about Flare herself. Unfortunately or fortunately, they never made it past the first question as Flare tearfully pleaded with her family members to stop.

Once all the festivities were finished, Flare bid a rather emotional farewell to her family members, the giants weeping enough to fill multiple lakes should they wish. For Natsu, Erza had once again tried to capture him and forcibly drag him back to Fairy Tail. This time, Lucy assisted her while Wendy tried to break down his will with her strongest pout and pair of puppy dog eyes. It all failed as Natsu stated that he had responsibilities back with Crime Sorcière, Flare being one of them.

"I guess this is goodbye for now once again then..." Erza muttered softly, her face buried into the chest of the pink haired man she was embracing.

"Yeah, but it won't be forever Erza. Don't worry alright?" He said in a confident tone, Erza merely nodding her head though her heart didn't feel the same.

"Then we'd better get going." Natsu said as he parted with a reluctant Erza, the redhead being replaced with the other as Wendy, Lucy and Erza gave Flare a bitter and jealous look.

Saying their goodbyes, they parted ways as the Fairies headed back to Magnolia while Natsu and Flare headed back towards the Aiuola Mountain Range.

(Time Skip - A Few Days Later)

(Scene Change- Fiore: Aiuola Mountain Range - Crime Sorcière Guildhall)

"Are you sure about this Natsu?" Jellal asked in a concerned tone, his concern being matching by the three other mages in the room.

"Yeah, it'll be safer if I go alone. I don't know what's going to happen and I don't want any of you getting hurt for my sake." He answered as checked his supplies once more, making sure that he wasn't missing anything of importance.

"Cherry Hair..." Flare whimpered as she embraced him, looking up at him with shining eyes in an attempt to sway him.

"I'll be fine Flare, don't worry about me and do your best to support the others alright?" He asked, getting a soft nod from the redhead.

"You had better come back Natsu." Ultear ordered, her shaky tone betraying her true feelings.

"Yeah, I'll be back Ul so don't you worry." He replied as she moved to hug him as well, nuzzling against him.

"Just... Please be safe Natsu." Meredy pleaded as she held him tightly, as if he would disappear should she let go.

"I'll be fine, honestly. You all are worrying over nothing, I'll be back before you know it." He said as they nodded their heads softly.

Breaking from him, they each gave him a quick peak on the lips before dashing out of the main hall and into their rooms, leaving behind a bewildered pinkette. Shaking his head to clear them of the cobwebs that momentarily filled it, he turned to a slightly frowning Jellal before moving over to him. Holding out his hand, Jellal took it in a firm handshake before the two moved into give the other a half hug.

"You do know that what you're doing is plain suicidal Natsu." Jellal said as Natsu nodded his head in confirmation.

"I know Jellal, but if I don't do this I'm afraid of what's going to happen." He replied as he gripped his left arm, the bandages now having a sickly black glow to them.

"It's spreading a lot faster then we anticipated isn't it." Jellal said with a grimace, getting a nod from pinkette.

"Yeah, and if I don't find a way to stop it soon... Well, you can imagine what'll happen." He answered as Jellal clenched his hands tightly, gritting his teeth as Natsu patted him on the back.

"Don't worry though Jellal, now isn't the time to panic or fall into depression. We've got time and I intend on using the most out of it." Natsu said as Jellal released a sigh to calm his nerves, locking gazes with him.

"You need to come back Natsu. Those three, you know that they all love you equally not to mention the countless others." Jellal said in a slightly mirthful tone, trying to ease the tension as Natsu smiled slightly at him.

"Yeah, I know. Take care of everyone alright? I'll be back as soon as I can." He said in a reassuring tone, heading out of the guildhall as Jellal waved behind him.

"Be safe my friend, I can only hope that you can learn to control that magic in time Natsu. " Jellal said in a soft tone, unaware of the three sets of eyes that widened at his statement.

(Time Skip - A Few Days Later)

(Scene Change - Unknown Location)

"Ha... Well, here goes nothing... **Mode: Fire Devil**!" Natsu shouted as he removed the bandages covering his left arm, a menacing and evil feeling magical pressuring emanating from the arm.

"**Fire Devil's Rage**!" He roared, taking in a deep inhale of air before unleashing a hellish torrent of flames that seemed to overshadow even his **Fire Dragon's Roar**.

"Ha... Ha... Guh!" Natsu grimaced, clutching his left arm as pain ripped through it, gritting his teeth as it traveled through his entire being.

As he kneeled on the ground, holding his arm which started to glow an ominous red, Natsu failed to notice the damage his spell had created behind him. A once craggy and rocky mountain was reduced to a pile of molten slag, bubbling and oozing as magma and lava danced. The area around the mountain was now ablaze, a physical manifestation of hell as flames danced across the ground and sky. Taking a shaky breath, Natsu turned and spat out a globule of blood before standing on his feet once more.

"I need to control this before it gets any worse..." He muttered painfully under his breath as he took another lungful of air, letting loose the rage of a devil once more as the sky turned an ominous scarlet.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location)

"Huh?" A woman quietly gasped, turning to a window as she felt a strangely familiar magical presence.

"So you felt it as well Sayla?" Another woman asked, Sayla softly nodding her head in confirmation to the woman's question.

"...It felt like him Kyoka-sama..." Sayla whispered as she looked longingly out the window, a hand held over her heart.

"Indeed it did Sayla..." Kyoka whispered back, looking out the window as well.

"_My beloved..._"

"_My love..._"

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**And that's a wrap, really not the best chapter I know but like I said above, I've been in a real slump lately. Maybe I'll go read something super epic or watch something rad to get me into the mood once again, but we'll see. Well, what do you guys think? I really like Sayla, not to mention she's quite the looker I tell ya, and I also like how Kyoka's most human form looks. But that aside, you guys take it easy and stay awesome alright?**


	6. Chapter 6

"Natsu!" - Person Talking

"_Natsu!_" - Person Thinking

**"Natsu!"** \- Large Being Talking

_**"Natsu!"**_ \- Large Being Thinking

**"****Fire Dragon's Iron Fist****!"** \- Magic

**Hey guys, it's Dom here bringing you another chapter of Smoldering Ember. Sorry bout the delay guys, but I've got kind of side tracked because of E3. Well, not too much to say here other then I'm still not too good at writing a Fairy Tail storyline because of how much detail there is. Like always, I'm always trying to improve so thanks to all of you who have been patient with me, you all rock. And you all know the deal right? Read, Review and PM me if you feel like it? That's enough of me talking, you came to read right? Well, let's a go.**

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Smoldering Ember - Chapter 6

(Scene Change - Stella: Era - Magic Council Headquarters)

Nestled in the city of Era, the largest and most influential city in Stella, is the headquarters of the Magic Council. Gathered inside of the main meeting hall were the current members of the council, discussing the recent string of events such as Fairy Tail's victory at the Grand Magic Games and the recent decline of guilds that had an association with the dark guild. Tartaros.

"Silence everyone! We are not here to discuss such trivial items, we are here to discuss the events concerning Tartaros. As you are all aware, all guilds affiliated with Tartaros have been eliminated in the past seven days. And as of now, we have been unable to identify who it was that eliminated them, for better or for worse." Gran Doma said as a murmur swept through the assembled council heads.

"If this is the work of an official guild, we would have to worry about possible retaliation."

"What about that independent guild? What was it again?"

"Hmm, it could indeed be Crime Sorcière but we've no proof."

"This reeks of something that Fairy Tail has yet again cooked up..."

"Perhaps with great power, they wished to make a show of it?"

"Enough, I highly doubt that Fairy Tail would do such a thing."

"Org-Roshi always does tend to take Fairy Tail's side in such debates."

"This is just a hypothesis... But what if Tartaros were the perpetrators themselves?" Org said in a speculative tone, getting the attention of everyone in the hall.

"I know it sounds farfetched, but it could be a means to strengthen their forces while cutting off ties with those who are leeching off of their strength." Org explained as a tense silence filled the hall.

But what followed after as a thunderous roar of laughter at the notion, the council members finding it both humorous and improbable that dark guilds would be targeting their own. But in the midst of their laughter, they failed to notice the rather unamused looks on the faces of Org and Gran.

"Well, Org-Roshi's theory is a plausible one." Gran started, getting the attention of everyone in the room.

"Now is the time for us to deal with Tartaros after turning a blind eye to them for so long." Gran continued as he began to tell the assembled heads that the time to strike was now, the fall of Tartaros signaling the fall of the Balam Alliance.

Though, as he was about to get into the details as to what exactly it was that they were going to do, the frantic steps of a messenger gained the attention of the council members.

"I-It's terrible!" The messenger shouted as he burst through the doors to the council room, drawing the attention of the members.

"You fool! We are in the middle of a meeting!" Gran shouted in anger, failing to take notice of the lack of fear on the messenger's face at his tone.

"N-Now's not the time for that! Invaders ha-" He never finished as a large explosion consumed the building, the ceiling and walls collapsing in a chaotic fashion.

(Scene Change - Natsu's Location)

"Uh!" Natsu sounded out as he turned towards the east, feeling an abnormal and starkly dark feeling Magical presence emanating from the direction.

"Damn it! I'm not even close yet!" He shouted as he grabbed his backpack and started sprinting towards the source of the dark Magic, jumping and igniting his feet as he propelled himself using his Magic in order to reach the source before anything else happened.

(Scene Change - Stella: Era - Magic Council Headquarters)

"Guh..." Doranbolt groaned in an agonized tone, grimacing and wincing as he forced himself to stand in spite of the debris that was piled on top of him.

His eyes widening, he quickly rose from the pile of debris that had fallen on him as he scanned the area for any signs of Lahar or the council members. Spotting a familiar cape, he quickly moved to it only to drop to his knees when he saw that it was indeed Lahar. Shakily, he started removing the rubble that was on the man before checking for any sign of life. When he found that Lahar was without a pulse or breathing his head dropped as the weight of what had just occurred struck him.

"N-No way... Anyone...? Is there anyone still alive!?" He shouted as he stood, checking the surrounding area for any other survivors.

"Doranbolt..." Org said in a pained down, glancing at the youthful man with serious eyes.

"O-Org-Roshi!" He shouted as he moved to save the elderly man, only to freeze and stare in shock as something pinned the councilman's head to the ground.

"No, No... Letting you live is not an option. Assassinating all members of the council was my directive, after all." The "man" said, snickering slightly as he stared down at the pinned man below him.

"Now. Explode." He said as his hand began to glow, Org merely closing his open eye as he took a deep inhale of air.

"Doranbolt, run." He said as he shot a serious and expectant look at the man, Doranbolt's eyes widening as he took in the order.

"Think of what will happen if we lose you as well." Org continued, leaving the young mage no room for argument as the man holding him shook his head.

"Running isn't an option, not from my explosions anyway." He said as light began to emerge from his hand and Org's head, Doranbolt looking on in complete helplessness.

"The name's Jackal, one of the nine Demon gates of Tartaros. Remember that in hell, as the name of the man who massacred the entire Magic council." Jackal said the light only increased in scale.

"Live Doranbolt! Live and carry out your own sense of justice!" Org shouted as he and the area around Jackal and himself was consumed in a large explosion.

"Org-Roshi!" Doranbolt shouted as he too, was consumed by the radius of the explosion.

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Fairy Tail Guildhall)

Over at the Fairy Tail Guild, business continues as usual. Makarov is surprised to hear from Erza that Minerva has joined a Dark Guild and suggests informing the Council of it. Meanwhile, Juvia bakes bread buns with her and Gray's faces on them in an attempt to get him to eat them, though her plans do not work out as intended. Simultaneously, other Mages take a look into a book about Zeref and learn that E.N.D. is his strongest Demon. As Pantherlily wonders what Zeref's Demons are, Carla explains that they are his creations and can be summoned via his books.

"All the Magic needed to summon them are imbued within those book." Carla explained as her friends gave her nods in confirmation.

"So, if we have that book, we can call these Demons?" Happy asked in an inquisitive tone, getting a few sweat drops from the mages gathered.

"I suppose, but it's more likely that it would be one Demon per book at the most." Carla hypothesized as Happy closed his eyes in thought, trying to recall anything about books, Demons or Zeref.

As began to drift back, he suddenly snapped his eyes opened as Gajeel, knowing Tartaros likely has the book with E.N.D. in it, suggests attacking them, something Gray agrees with. While Lucy and Levy both berate the idea, Happy suddenly made a noise of recognition as he drew the attention of his friends, getting a few worried looks from them.

"N-N-Natsu knows!" He shouted as he gained more confused looks from the mages, some tilting their heads in the same confusion.

"Natsu knows what, Happy?" Lucy asked in a curious tone, voicing the question that was gnawing on the back of the other's minds.

"Natsu knows about E.N.D! I remember!" He continued only to be grabbed and promptly shaken by the mages gathered around him.

"WHAT!?" The entirety of the guild roared with confusion, absolutely blown away by the revelation presented to them by the Exceed.

After getting swarmed by his guildmates and friends, Happy was cat-handled for a few minutes before Makarov finally calmed the rowdy mages down. Taking a few seconds to catch his breath, Happy explained to them that it was after the mission on Galuna Island that Natsu had talked to him about E.N.D.

"The reason why Natsu took that job wasn't because it was an S-Class one but because it had something to do with Demons." Happy began as he drew the attention and query of the mages, wondering what the connection between the Dragon Slayer and Demons was.

"After we got punished, he seemed really distant and quieter then usual. When we had another brawl break out, he left the guild and went home and that's when he told me about E.N.D. Apparently Igneel attempted to destroy E.N.D but failed; that's why Natsu went to Galuna, hoping to find a clue about Igneel." Happy explained as the eyes of a few of the mages went wide, never expecting the pink haired Dragon Slayer to have an actual reason for doing what he did.

Continuing, Happy carried on with a theory that he held about Natsu and Igneel pertaining to the Demons. As he was telling the mages, Wendy and Gajeel begin suggesting connections with their own Dragons as well. Suddenly, Jet and Droy return to the guild in a panic setting off alarms in the minds of everyone present, announcing that something terrible has happened.

(Scene Change - Stella: Era - Magic Council Headquarters Ruins)

"Quickly! Check over there, I think I heard sounds!"

"Over here! They're still breathing, it's shallow but we can still save them!"

"Damn it! Where are the medics?! We're losing her!"

"Hurry it up! Take care of the injured first, they're our top priority!"

Moving about in a panicked and unorganized manner were the soldiers of the Rune Knights, doing what was in the realms of their abilities to aid those that were buried beneath the rubble and ruins of the former building. The sounds of pained moans, groans and light weeping could be heard around the ruined area as soldiers and civilians alike, raced in and around the rubble to pull out anyone trapped and buried under the rubble. One by one, survivors and the deceased were removed and given prompt treatment as far as the situation allowed for. Person in particular was absent during this ordeal, having gone to underground to confront someone he knew had knowledge of what was to come.

(Scene Change - Stella: Era - Rune Knight Maximum Security Prison)

"I thought it was about time you showed..." Cobra said in a slightly condescending tone, looking up at Doranbolt from behind the bars.

"You "heard" what happened up there, I presume." He said in a mirthless tone, a thin line marring his features.

"Don't be stupid. I can't use Magic in this cell, I just heard and felt the explosions from down here." Cobra replied in a mirthful tone, enjoying the slight twitch of Doranbolt's features.

"Enough. Spit out what you know about Tartaros." He said in a frigid tone, steel and hate all that was present in his eyes.

"Well I ain't talking for free. Let the six of us out and maybe we have a deal." Cobra demanded as Doranbolt held his tongue, stiffening as he took in a shaky breath.

"You know I don't have that kind of authority." He replied as he scowled slightly at the mocking sneer on Cobra's face.

"Then talk to the higher-ups." He answered as Doranbolt stiffened once more, lowering his head slightly.

"The higher-ups are all dead." He replied in a pained tone, surprise flashing in Cobra's eyes at the revelation before looking away.

"Looks like they really went all out up there." Cobra said in a mirthful tone, snickering a bit at the rather shocking reveal as Doranbolt bristled in complete anger.

"My friends and colleagues are dead. My patience is at its limit, so spit out what you know or else this'll be your last breath." Doranbolt demanded in an arctic tone, having teleported behind Cobra with a dagger held to his throat.

"I ain't budging on that condition of mine. Those guys are my allies, no matter what the circumstances are." Cobra quipped as the dagger was drawn closer to his throat, drawing a thin line of blood.

"But, I'll tell you one thing." He added as the pressure to his neck was alleviated by a small amount, Doranbolt listening on with baited breath.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location: Outside of Tartaros Guildhall)

At the same time, Kyoka meets with Silver and the rest of Nine Demon Gates barring Jackal and Tempester. Going forth, the seven members of the Nine Demon Gates prepare to bring despair upon humanity, while back in his cell, Cobra reveals to Doranbolt that all the members of Tartaros are Demons from the Books of Zeref and that their master is E.N.D., the most powerful of Zeref's creations. During their meeting, each of the Nine Demon Gates express their opinions on their current work, noting it is for Zeref that they intend to eliminate mankind.

"That's just like you Jackal-san, always so flashy with it. I wonder how much the lives of the Magic Council are worth, gehehe." Franmalth said in a mirthful tone, laughing impishly at the thought of the bounty the heads of the council members would fetch.

"Franmalth, cease that foul laughter this instant. Our dignity will be questioned." Torafusa growled out in an annoyed tone, shooting the armored Demon a frigid glare.

"As if Demons have things like dignity, or even shit for that matter! Let me go next, Kyoka! Let's hurry up and massacre the humans already!" Ezel shouted in a heated manner, already cracking his knuckles for his turn at battle.

"Ezel-san, stories have a proper sequence. We are still at the prologue, no this is preface, rather." Sayla said in a composed manner, quietly closing the book held in her hands.

"Exactly. Do not be in such a rush, Ezel. You have your assignment." Kyoka said in a slightly irritated manner, shooting the taller Demon a slight glare.

"My body! My body is throbbing! It's not fair that Jackal and Tempester get all the juicy bits!" Ezel countered as he tried to sway the female demon to agree to his proposal, Kyoka and the others ignoring his tirade.

"Pray... Whisper... And then the blessings of the underworld." Keyes uttered quietly like a mantra, gently jingling his staff as he repeated the words.

"Hell has just begun." Kyoka said in a haughty tone, clenching her hands into a fist as Silver looked on impassively.

"Everything is for the sake of our master, Zeref. The hammers of Demons will descend upon humanity." She continued as they all moved out of the guildhall, making their way for the exit of their home.

"Very well, let's show the humans the power of the underworld. The hell brought forth by the Nine Demon Gates, of Tartaros." Kyoka said in a haughty tone, her guildmates and fellow Demons following her as they headed out of Cube.

(Scene Change - Stella: Era - Rune Knight Maximum Security Prison)

"None of them are human, they're all Demons from Zeref's book." Cobra stated as Doranbolt's eyes widened at the frightening revelation, Cobra flashing a wicked grin as he continued.

"Their master's name is E.N.D. The strongest and nastiest Demon out of Zeref's library of works." He finished as sweat dropped freely down the side of Doranbolt's face, the dagger in his hand shaking as the information sunk in.

(Scene Change - Hargeon Town: 8-Island Restaurant)

At the same time, the Thunder God Tribe are on a job at 8-Island. They find out about the massacre of the council and Yajima ends up annoyed as the tribe shows a lack of tact about the issue. They then talk about Laxus' whereabouts when someone enters the restaurant. The mysterious visitor utters a single word, casting **Cyclone** to destroy the entire restaurant, blowing the Tribe and Yajima away in the process.

With his body covered in winds, the attacker heads towards Yajima, with the latter being protected by Freed and Bickslow. However, the resistance is proven to be futile as Freed and Bickslow fall down injured after being hit by **Impact**. Yajima's **Flattening Magic** and Evergreen's **Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun** also have no effect on their opponent and Yajima finds himself strangled by the Tartaros Mage, who proclaims that judgment is upon humanity.

"The gates of hell have opened. Judgment is upon humanity." Tempester said in a calm tone, tightening the winds that were wrapped around the former councilman's throat.

"Yajima-san!" Evergreen cried out in absolute fear and panic, watching the life begin to leave his eyes.

"The gates of hell... Tar-Tartaros?" Bickslow said through ground teeth, clutching his hands into fists at his powerlessness.

"T-They are after not just the current council members, but even the former ones as well!" Freed shouted as the pieces finally clicked in his mind, cursing his powerlessness.

"Fall... To hell." Tempester said as Yajima started screaming in agony, the Tribe shouting at the Demon to stop.

However, before Tempester manages to finish his job, his attack is negated by Laxus' lightning, who appears to face the Demon.

"I may have gone astray on my way back here, but... When it comes to wiping the floor with you, the path is as clear as day." Laxus said as lightning arced up and down his person, Tempester staring the man down.

While his bodyguards are happy to see him, Laxus questions the attacker's identity. Right after Laxus learns of Yajima being the target, the dark mage discards his upper attire, shocking everyone with his demon-like appearance. Tempester then charges at Laxus surrounded by winds. Laxus envelops himself in lightning and effortlessly dodges Tempester's attacks just to strike him from behind afterwards. As Tempester finds himself lying on the ground, he is shocked to see Laxus' prowess in Magic. With great speed, Laxus hits the Demon with **Lightning Dragon's Jaw**, seemingly taking him down while creating a huge shockwave.

The Thunder God Tribe mages rejoice and Laxus asks Yajima about what to do with Tempester. After realizing that the Magic Council is completely out of business right now, they consider interrogating the dark mage at Fairy Tail to be the right course of action. However, the Demon is awake and picks up on the name of the guild which took him down, commenting on the surprising strength of mere humans. He then states that he has to "sacrifice one of his lives" and while everyone is confused about his words, he suddenly explodes into a black mist that surrounds the mages.

They soon learn that it is **Magical Barrier Particles**, particles which create Magic deficiency, illness and can spread quickly. As Tempester leaves to restore his physical body, the mages struggle against the black mist. As Yajima, Evergreen and Bickslow collapse from this powerful poison, Laxus begins inhaling the particles, able to do so due to his Dragon Slayer lungs.

"Laxus! Stop!" Freed, Evergreen and Bickslow shouted in an attempt to stop the Dragon Slayer from inhaling the deadly particles, the mage only stopped to shoot them a grin.

"Take everyone home. That's your job." He said in a pained manner, though he never lost the grin he had on his face.

"LAXUS!"

(Time Skip - Half An Hour Later)

(Scene Change - Stella: Era - Magic Council Headquarters Ruins)

Arriving at the ruins of the Magic Council Headquarters, Natsu looked on with a mix of shock and awe at the destruction that was in front of him. Gritting his teeth, he stuck to the shadows as he navigated the ruins for any clues as to who or what had done the deed, freezing as a strange sense of nostalgia started to overtake him once he felt something that was much fouler then Magic.

"Guh... W-What...?" He muttered as he clutched his head with his right hand, supporting his body with the wall using his left which started to throb in response to the feeling.

The residue of what caused the destruction around him was both familiar and foreign, his left arm beginning to throb at the foul feeling energy that was preset in the ruins. Gritting his teeth, he forcibly flushed his body with his own Magic as the throbbing sensation in his left arm faded away, though there was still a hint of something aching inside of it that caused him a bit of worry.

Taking a shaky breath, he let himself catch his breath before standing straight once more. Glancing towards the east, he narrowed his eyes when he felt a similar feeling energy emanating from the direction. Clutching his left arm, he drew and strengthen the suppression runes imbued within the bandages on the arm before heading off to the east, igniting his feet once he was sure he alone.

"What is going on... Why do I feel like I know what that energy is..." He muttered under his breath as he wiped a bead of sweat from his face, blinking in surprise when he realized he was actually beginning to sweat.

"This is seriously bad..."

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Fairy Tail Guildhall)

In the guild, the affected Mages are treated by Porlyusica, who reiterates their highly serious condition. Freed tells Makarov that Laxus is responsible for saving the town, but Makarov recalls that the particles still spread and resulted in both a quarantine and over one hundred deaths. Not knowing this, Freed asks if the town is alright, to which Makarov answers in the affirmative, relieving him. As the other mages in the guild are saddened by these recent events, a few of the mages are furious and angrily declares that now is the time to go to war.

(Time Skip - Half An Hour Later)

(Scene Change - Hargeon Town)

"What..." Natsu whispered as he saw the dark anti-Magic particles ominously covering the port town.

Feeling a deep sense of dread building within him, he created a thin but powerful shroud of his magic to protect him in the presence of the damaging and deadly particles. Dropping into the city, he stood still as a cold sweat broke out on his forehead as he saw something that would forever haunt his dreams. Laid out in front of him were the bodies of the town's residents, all still and cold. His body shaking, he failed to notice that the ground around him was reduced to molten slag by the immense heat that he was releasing.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he ventured deeper into the now lifeless streets as he checked everywhere for any signs of survivors. Almost frantic to find just one soul, he froze when he heard whimpering coming from a lone alleyway. Snapping his eyes closed, he focused on his hearing and eventually found that it was coming from the south, the Dragon Slayer speeding towards its source with fire licking at his heels. When he arrived he paused to hear the sound once more and sped to a dumpster, blowing away all traces of the damaging particles before carefully opening it.

"_Please! Please, be alive!_" He prayed in his mind, ignoring the fact that his hands were melting the metal of the dumpster.

When he opened it; what he saw, he would never forget nor would he ever wish to forget.

She was laying inside of the dumpster, huddled in a tiny ball in a futile attempt to stave off the airborne death that was around her. Her skin was fair but filthy, her small frame was garbed in dirty clothes and her pink hair was matted and dirty. Her breathing was shallow and pained, her body wracked with shudders and sweat but above all else, there was nothing but fear and resignation in her body language. But it was beneath that that caused something primal inside of Natsu to stir, there was a faint glimmer of hope, a faint wish to live underneath all of the negative that he saw. Carefully, he reached down and extracted the infant from the dumpster and pulled her as close as possible to his chest, the action causing her to flutter her eyes open.

When she glanced up, he felt his breath hitch when he gazed into those teal eyes and saw them gazing into his own coal colored orbs. And it wasn't until she buried her face into his chest and wrapped her thin arms around his frame that he felt something other then his fire spark inside of him, something much, much warmer and comforting filling his entire being. What he heard next, he would never let go from his memory and neither would those who were bound to the young girl in his arms.

"Papa..." She whispered in a soft angelic tone; hope, relief, adoration, longing and above all else, love, present in her soft voice.

Frozen, he was about to respond when he felt a tremor and saw a large plume of smoke rising from above the city limits. Narrowing his eyes, he glanced down at the still shaking but now sleeping child in his arms before his eyes softened. Turning, ignored the creed of his guild that called for stealth and let his Magic explode, blowing and burning away all traces of the particles that were in the vicinity of his area. Letting his eyes close, he tried to find signs of any other survivors but let a frown mar his face at the lack of other heartbeats.

As he was about to leave to find supplies for the child he held in his arms, Natsu stopped when he saw a worn and old shoulder bag that was resting beside the spot she had laid in. Reaching down, he opened it and widened his eyes when he saw that it had a few diapers, pieces of clothing, a bottle and formula and above all else, a sealed envelope. Taking the bag and making sure that it wasn't about to fall, he bolted from the city, the infant and bag held securely in his arm.

"Damn it... Not now..." He muttered as he glanced down at his left arm, the limb now beginning to glow and pulse with a deep and ominous crimson once more.

(Scene Change - Cube: Tartaros Laboratory)

In the confines of Tartaros' headquarters, Tempester finally awoke from his temporary stasis inside of a test tube within the laboratory. Glancing around, he focused his gaze on the familiar figure that was Kyoka. Once his vocal cords and throat were finally reconstructed, he tested out his voice by grunting before addressing the demon in front of him.

"Sorry for the trouble, Kyoka." He said in a shamed tone, the female demon shaking her head in the negative.

"Don't worry, Tempester." She replied as he blinked in response, taking in what she had called him.

"Tempester, is that my name? Whenever I get a new body, I forget my previous one. If that's the case, wouldn't it be better if I didn't have one in the first place?" He asked as Kyoka shook her head in the negative, getting a look of surprise from him.

"Tempester is the name that he gave you, remember?" She said in a softer tone then he had ever heard, before he widened his eyes in shock.

"Right... How long will it take until I'm fully regenerated?" He asked after a few seconds of awkward silence.

"Normally one day would be enough however I'm using another lot at the same time, so it will take a little longer." She said as he looked at her in surprise.

"Another lot? Someone else was wounded?" He asked in a tone of surprise, Kyoka giving him a smirk in return.

"No, a new demon."She answered as she turned to face the tube containing the unconscious form of Minerva.

"I hope she doesn't become a failure like Doriate-san, gehehe." Franmalth cackled as he walked into the laboratory, getting the attention of the Demons.

"How much did it cost you anyway? Tempester-san's restoration isn't free you know. Using up Magic killing particles so freely isn't a very wise decision." He said in a mirthful tone, Tempester growing agitated at the statement.

"Fairy Tail. If they hadn't gotten in my way, none of this would have happened." He growled out in anger, the other Demons in the room growing interested.

"Fairy Tail?" Kyoka repeated, growing interested when she saw Minerva begin to react to the name.

"Hmm... They were the ones that defeated the six demons and Grimoire." She said as she looked thought about what the guild had in store for them in the future.

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Fairy Tail Guildhall)

Inside of the guild, a few of the mages were simmering in anger, wishing to wage war against the Dark Guild, but without any clear direction of where to start. Both Makarov and Erza concur, with them realizing that they don't have enough information to take the war to the dark guild. The guild members conclude that their only course of action is that they need to stake out the hidden former Magic Council members who are currently being targeted; Loke appears and reveals he knows where some of the retired Council members are currently staying by means of seduction.

With the location of four ex-Council members, Fairy Tail starts splitting into groups and heading to their locations in order to protect them, as well as find out more information on both Tartaros and the other retired members. After Porlyusica requests that, if possible, they get a sample of Tempester's blood, and Elfman and Mirajane Strauss say goodbye to Evergreen and Laxus respectively; Makarov gives a rousing speech before the teams split up to guard the ex-Council members.

(Scene Change - Undisclosed Location: Michello's Home)

As it so happens, Lucy, Wendy Happy and Carla are sent to guard Michello, who is less than enthusiastic about having the Fairy Tail members guard him. Arriving at the home of former councilor Michello, he opens the door to his house when the Fairy Tail mages arrive and inform him that they shall act as his personal bodyguards due to the recent assault on the Magic Council. Michello, however, denies their protection and questions their knowledge of his location. Before receiving an answer, Happy walks up to him and calls him a cat, infuriating the senior. He further continues to state Fairy Tail's faults, and even wonders if they are using him as bait; Carla states otherwise, as he will be targeted regardless of their presence.

Michello begins to shout that he is leaving, and orders them not to follow him. Just then, Michelia, his granddaughter, enters with drinks for the Fairy Tail Mages as she tells her grandfather that he is being rude, convincing him that he needs to take the mages seriously. Lucy asks whether he knows why Tartaros is after him, to which he initially states that he does not. However, he considers whether they are after "Face" before Wendy suddenly unleashes her Magic, sending everyone to the ground, having smelled something suspicious.

Suddenly, the house ignites in a massive explosion, which sends all the inhabitants reeling from the blow. Though, the majority of the damage is negated by the strong winds that Wendy created, which buffered most of the explosion. This surprises Jackal, the creator of the explosion, who believed them to have died and asks the young mage who she is while the Dragon Slayer is far too nervous to reply. Knowing that he is from Tartaros, Lucy and Wendy urge Michello to escape as fast as he can, given that he is the target.

(Scene Change - Ristoro Town Center)

Taking the first turn, Jackal proceeds to generate power, causing the wind to blow as he manages to create explosions all around the town, hitting all the buildings in the vicinity causing the populace to panic as Lucy exasperatedly tells him the town has nothing to do with his goals and, angry, Wendy retaliates using her **Sky Dragon's Roar**, but the roar is nullified by an explosion being set off inside of it.

"Lucy-san! P-Please get Michello-san and Michelia-san away from h-here!" She called out in a shaky tone, her form visibly shaking as she tried to stand strong in front of the Demon.

"Oh? And what do you think you're going to do small fry? Ruffle my clothes?" He sneered at the young Dragon Slayer, attempting to goad her as she furiously held back her tears.

Falling back to what she learned during her brief training session with Gajeel and Laxus, Wendy attacked with much more aggression then she usually had. Enhancing herself using **Arms X Armor X Vernier**, she sped towards a surprised Jackal with her arms cocked back as they became shrouded in wind.

"**Sky Dragon's Wing Attack**!" She shouted as she swiped at the Demon, Jackal doing nothing to avoid the miniature tornadoes that sent him careening to the ground.

As Jackal hit the ground, a large plume of dust obscured his person as Wendy landed a fair distance away, Carla by her side. As the dust began to settle, the two tensed and promptly widened their eyes when they saw Jackal merely rolling his shoulders as though he had a bad ache. Cracking an eye open, he looked at them with an hateful and utterly dismissive eye. Shaking his head, he settled into a lazy stance as he shot a frigid and disgusted glare at her before shifting his focus to Lucy, Happy and Michello.

"That's it? That's the power of a Dragon Slayer? All you humans are disgustingly weak." He spat out, treating the word "human" as if it were poison.

Raising his arm, he held his hand up as the ground quaked softly beneath Wendy. The young mage's eyes widening, she quickly enchanted herself with **Vernier** before grabbing Carla and bolting from their location as a large explosion consumed the area that Carla and herself stood on a few seconds before. Landing a fair distance away, her eyes widened when Jackal appeared in front of her, a nasty sneer on her face as he moved to grab her face.

"Just die." He sneered as he moved to set off an explosion on Wendy's face, the bluenette's eyes widening as his hand neared.

But before it made contact, Happy connected a powerful blow to his head using his **Max Speed Attack**, managing to have gotten enough force to daze the Demon for just long enough for Wendy to and Carla to escape. Landing, the trio regrouped with Lucy and a trembling Michello as Jackal turned and snarled at them with utter hatred on his face. Bringing his hand up once more, the Demon created another town-wide explosion that causes the populace to panic even more along with the Fairy Tail mages.

"You're all going to pay for insulting me like that!" He snarled as he charged towards them, the Fairy Tail mages turning to tell Michello to run only to find that he was already gone.

As Michello realizes that Tartaros may be after "Face", he runs away and leaves everyone behind to learn the locations of the other councilors, however Happy stops the man and asks him to reveal everything he knows about what Tartaros may be after, which he refuses to do. Seeing Jackal going after them, Wendy and Lucy move in to intercept the Tartaros member, with Carla warning them from the sides about not touching him, lest they run the risk of exploding like the buildings he had touched. Wendy responds by attacking with her **Sky Dragon's Roar**, aiming straight at Jackal.

"Tch, this again?" The demon scoffed as he raised his hand once more before setting off another explosion was set off inside of the roar, rendering it useless as he did before.

With Wendy's roar rendered useless once more, Lucy counters by summoning Scorpio who attacks with his **Sand Buster**. However, this attack is also repelled by an explosion, as an even stronger one throws Scorpio into the air, the Spirit nearly colliding with Lucy as a result. As Carla notes that he's using his blasts to guard against Magic, Jackal reveals that the members of Tartaros do not use Magic but rather "Curses", a power which stands above Magic.

Stating that mages cannot beat them, Jackal hits Lucy, Carla and Wendy with his **Exploding Spiral**. The three girls are knocked into the air and taken out just like lightweights, leaving Jackal free to go after Michello. As Michelia arrives, she asks if the girls are alright, sad that they were injured because of her grandfather. However, Lucy tells them they are fighting for their pride and as such, Wendy responds by gritting her teeth as she begins to heal Lucy.

"W-Wendy, what about you?" Lucy said in a pained tone, her heart breaking at the sight of the young mage doing her best to hold back her tears.

"I-I'm f-fine Lucy-san. P-Please don't worry about m-me." She said with slight hitches in her voice, futilely trying to drown out the pain that was evident in her voice as she focused on healing the blonde.

"I'll go save the rest of the citizens then!" Happy called out as he flew overhead, the girls nodding at him as he passed by.

With Wendy's Magic, Lucy manages to recover soon after, with the latter going after him as the former stays to take care of Carla. Locating a frantic Michello in town, Jackal proceeds to taunt him just as Lucy arrives and winds up being caught in his **Landmine Curse**, which will go off should she move. Seeing the crowd approach her, Jackal picks up Michello, who had dived into the river, a random woman and child with his Curse and encases them in his **Bomb Orb**.

"What is that?"

"Huh? An orb?"

"A fight between two mages? Should we alert the knights?"

Watching the people gathered around glancing at the orbs with curiosity, Jackal was almost tempted to detonate them then and there but found that what he had in mind was far more amusing.

"Heh. They're two bombs." He said in a mirthful tone as those who were examining the orbs blanched and panicked, the entirety of the town abandoning the three to their fate as Jackal shook his head.

"Humans really are the worst. Oh well, we'll be seeing an interesting display of human nature soon enough." He said as he turned to a shaking Lucy, who had an inkling as to what was to come.

"Only one will explode. You choose. Who will go free, and who will die?" He asked as Lucy, Michello and the woman looked at him with wide eyes.

"Please! Help us!" The woman and her daughter pleaded with Lucy, holding her clearly distended stomach and daughter closer as Lucy stared with wide eyes at them.

"Mama, I'm scared." The child whimpered to her mother, the woman holding her close as she whispered soothing words in her ear.

"You came to protect me didn't you!? Save me!" Michello demanded, shouting with all his worth at the blonde.

"P-Please stop it! What's the use of this!" Lucy shouted at the nonchalant Demon, Jackal shooting her a mirthful look.

"The use? There is no use, humans are just toys after all." He said in a wicked tone, Lucy's eyes widening as he gave her a smirk.

"Ten seconds left. Choose or they both die." He said as Lucy started trembling, the pleas of the woman growing weaker while Michello's grew.

"Shh... Mama will protect you..." She whispered to her child with tears in her eyes as she held her close, the girl weeping softly against her chest.

"Why are you hesitating!? I used to be a councilman! My life clearly more important!" Michello screamed as Lucy snapped her eyes shut, her body wanting to move as Jackal pointed it out.

"Look out there, if you move yourself that bomb there will blow. Then those other two will blow!" He said before cackling, Lucy gritting her teeth as tears began to form in her eyes.

"It's okay sweetie, it's okay... Mama is here with you..." The woman whispered as she ran her hands gently through her daughter's hair, the girl doing her best to drown out Jackal's laughter.

"Save me! Me! Which of us is more important to this world?! You don't even have to think about it!" Michello shouted with more rage then before, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and anger.

"Uhh..." Lucy whimpered as she snapped her eyes shut, her body trembling as she began to feel physically tormented by the choice at hand.

"Well? Who's life is it gonna be Fairy Tail? The life of a greedy, arrogant and selfish former councilman or the lives of a defenseless and innocent mother and children?" Jackal sneered as he held his fingers up, ready to snap them as Lucy moved to scream for him to stop.

"It's yours!" A rage and hatred filled voice roared as Jackal's head was nearly forcibly removed from his body by a flaming fist.

(Scene Change - Ristoro Town Outskirts)

As he drove his fist deeper into Jackals jaw, Natsu growled and unloaded a concussive blast of flames that sent the Demon flying to the outskirts of the town. Watching with shock and awe was a trembling and tearful Lucy as Michello and the mother and daughter were freed from their volatile prison. Hearing footsteps arriving, Lucy saw that Wendy and Carla were about to greet her but froze when they caught sight of Natsu. About to call out to him, their words failed to escape as they felt something they'd never thought they'd feel from the Dragon Slayer, sheer and utter hatred.

"You're gonna pay for what you've done you bastard!" He roared as the area around him was reduced to molten slag and metal, the pinkette igniting his feet as he sped towards a stunned and semi-conscious Jackal.

Cocking his arm back, he shrouded it in flames before driving a brutal blow to the Demon's side, Jackal's mouth opening as a silent scream left it. But it was promptly slammed shut with a bone shattering flaming knee, Natsu spinning in the air to drive his heel to the back of Jackal's head, sending the Demon hurling towards the earth. As he cocked his arm back for another blow, he saw a small smirk appear on Jackal's face as a symbol appear on his fist, knee and foot before the areas were consumed in an explosion, stunning the Dragon Slayer and those watching from below.

"Guh... Heh, serves you right you human. Whatever touches me is branded with that mark, and is set to explode when I see fit." Jackal said with much difficulty, his jaw clearly damaged from the blow Natsu had given him.

"**Fire Dragon's Roar**!" Roared Natsu from within the smoke, stunning Jackal as the Demon was consumed by the concentrated beam of fire.

With his body trapped in the epicenter of the beam, he could only let out a silent scream of agony as the beam and himself impacted with one of the outcropping of rock that dotted the outskirts of the town, a large sphere of concentrated flame forming as Jackal was trapped in its center. His eyes wide with sheer agony, he was unable to set off an explosion to nullify the sphere as he felt something outside of the sphere spike.

"Time to meet oblivion you bastard. **Fire Dragon's Ignition Stream**!" He roared after coating his right arm up to his elbow with his flames, firing a large stream of fire at the center of the sphere where Jackal was located.

The stream of fire meeting the center of the sphere, it ripped a bit before the sphere began to glow. Then, it pulsed before beginning to collapse in on itself before finally imploding into a human-sized sphere of crackling white-hot fire. Finally, the flames died out as the charred and smoldering remains of Jackal fell to the earth. Landing in an ashen heap, he wheezed as he barely clung to life, his smoldering and nearly cooked eyes locking onto Natsu's hazy form. But, to Natsu surprise and ire, he began cackling and wheezing.

"What's so funny?" The pinkette asked in an arctic tone, Jackal continuing to laugh as he stared up at Natsu.

"I... Still... Win... Human..." He wheezed as he flashed Natsu a savage grin, his body beginning to glow as something inside of Natsu pulsed.

His left arm beginning to ache and glow once again, he lashed out and grabbed Jackal by the face as the Demon's eyes widened. Then, the pinkette threw him into the air as he took a deep inhale of air, Jackal's eyes widening further as he felt a strangely nostalgic feeling nipping at the back of his mind. But his feeling vanished when he lapsed into brief unconsciousness, though it returned when he heard what left the pinkette's mouth.

"**Mode: Fire Devil**!" Natsu shouted as the bindings on his left arm were burned away by a blood colored flame, his magical presence becoming much darker and fouler then before as his aura went from a reddish orange to a bloody crimson.

"**Fire Devil's Rage**!" The pinkette roared, sending Jackal rocketing further into the sky with a hellish torrent of blood colored flames before his body was a safe distance from the town.

But before the Demon's body detonated, the flames that felt as though they were burning his very soul finally registered in his mind. His mouth opening in surprise, tears fell from his eyes before they were evaporated by the hell fire that was consuming him. But one word left his mouth before his body exploded, one word that himself and the rest of Tartaros would have wished for him to have remembered.

"_Master E.N.D..._" He whispered in a hushed tone as he detonated, the sky briefly obscured with clouds of smoke as Natsu bound and sealed his arm away once more.

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Fairy Tail Guildhall)

Back at the Fairy Tail Guild, Makarov starts receives various pieces of news regarding the fates of the councilors that he sent his Mages to protect, all of which reveal a negative prognosis.

(Scene Change - Undisclosed Location: Yuri's Home)

Meanwhile at the house of ex-Council member Yuri, Elfman and Lisanna find the occupant already unmarked and deceased. Before they can report back to the guild, Yuri opens his eyes and destroys the Lacrima before collapsing once more. The perpetrator then reveals herself: it is Sayla, one of the Nine Demon Gates. She then uses her Curse on Elfman, which forces him to choke Lisanna, to his horror.

"E-Elf-niichan!?" Lisanna wheezes as Elfman begins to tighten his grip around her neck, the large man's eyes becoming frantic and afraid as he struggles to reign in control of his body.

"No... My body is..." He struggles to say was his arm begins struggling between obeying Sayla's Curse and his own will.

"Guh... Gh... I-It hurts..." Lisanna whimpered as she struggled to free herself from Elfman's crushing grip, the mage doing all in his power to stop the curse from taking hold.

"What did you do?! Stop this! Stop this, please!" He pleaded with the Demon, Sayla giving him an impassive look as she closed the book held in her hands.

"In the story of the Demons, the word "pity" does not exist." She said as tears began to roll down Elfman's eyes, unable to comprehend the possibility that he was going to kill his Lisanna once again.

(Scene Change - Ristoro Town Outskirts)

Releasing a sigh, he was about to leave when he was tackled by a mass of bodies, their tangled mess of limbs collapsing into a heap. Blinking, he looked down and his anger and rage simmered down a bit when he saw that it was Lucy, Wendy, Happy and surprisingly Carla that were clinging to him. Letting out a sigh, he reassured them that everything was fine. Though, they didn't release him for a few minutes; once they reluctantly parted as Natsu instructed the blonde to contact her guild.

Quickly relaying a message to Jellal and his guild, they were a bit surprised to hear his request for all of them to meet up at the guildhall. But knowing that he wasn't one to ask for something without a valid reason, they agreed without hesitation. Handing the communication lacrima to Lucy, due to their own having been destroyed in the battle, the Fairies manage to establish contact with Fairy Tail.

With their contact established, Lucy reveals, upon being asked, that Michello is fine and that Natsu was the one who saved all of them from being potentially killed by Jackal. After a brief and frantic battle for the lacrima on his end due to a few of the Fairies learning that Natsu was on the other line, Makarov asks if Michello gave them any information, to which Lucy looks upon the man as he talks about the "white legacy" and "Face". Though he initially claims not to know anything, he admits that "Face" is one of the weapons the Magic Council possesses, similar to Etherion. Asked what kind of weapon "Face" is, Michello reveals that it is a which can annihilate the Magic of an entire continent.

Realizing that since Tartaros uses Curses rather than Magic, this would not affect them, the Mages note that this could create a catastrophe if they were allowed to act freely. Asked by Natsu where it is, Michello states that he doesn't know, knowing only that it was sealed with **Organic Link Magic** with three ex-councilors and that only the former chairman knows who they are. As a result, Fairy Tail is more certain than ever that the ex-council members need their protection. Now understanding that Tartaros is assassinating ex-councilors to unseal Face, Laki reveals that they've found the chairman's hidden address and have sent Erza and Mirajane to protect him.

"Then that's your mission, go." Natsu said as he prepared to leave, the Fairies giving him looks filled with a mix of hurt, anger, betrayal and confusion.

"W-What? B-But what about you Natsu? Aren't you going to help us?" Lucy asked as he shook his head in the positive, alleviating their worries.

"I am, but you all have your own role to play. You all head back, we'll meet up again later for sure." He said as they nodded their heads sadly, but not before Lucy leaned towards him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, surprising everyone present.

"Thanks Natsu... For saving me, us, again." She said in shy tone, pink coloring her cheeks as she flashed him a bashful and demure smile.

Their jaws still on the ground, Wendy, Happy and Carla could only gape at the blonde as Lucy started to fidget due to the attention that was directed at her. Blinking in confusion, Natsu simply smiled and shook his head as he gave Lucy a pat on the head. As he was about to leave, he felt someone tug on the hem of his shirt and when he turned around, he saw that it was Wendy. Looking up at him with tear filled eyes and puffed out cheeks, she was clearly upset at the unfair attention that he had directed towards Lucy. Laughing once more, he ruffled her hair as she flushed before repeating the action to a smiling Happy and bashful Carla.

"Alright then, take care. Don't take any risks and know your limits." He told them as they laughed slightly, feeling a bit strange to hear Natsu of all people telling them to play it safe.

Watching them go with a bit more confidence then before, Natsu turned to the forest and sped towards a particular part of it.

(Scene Change - Ristoro Forest: Clearing)

Arriving in a lush clearing, Natsu had a surge of panic pass through him but it settled when his eyes fell upon a bundle of white nestled safely in the midst of a makeshift bed made of the leaves of the ovatta tree, nicknamed the lavender cotton tree for the fluffiness, scent and look of its leaves. Above that were the down feathers of the vello stark, a bird that was legendary for its feathers which were unparallel in their softness. And inside of that bed of utter softness was the little girl that Natsu had rescued, breathing softly and asleep without a care in the world.

Releasing a sigh, he let a small smile appear on his face despite the situation at hand. Turning, he saw the unconscious and smoldering forms of the animals that tried to enter the clearing. Smirking, he snapped his fingers as the barrier runes that he laid around the perimeter of the clearing faded away. Settling into a sedate pace, he silently made his way to her but froze when he saw her begin to stir. Almost as if he was being stared down by some omnipotent being, his breath hitched as well began to run down the side of his face. Watching her rub the sleep out of her eyes, he resisted the primal urge to smile that was desperately trying to escape. As she sat up, she looked around in a sleepy manner before her eyes locked onto Natsu's form and widened with a brilliant smile lighting up her face.

"Papa!" She called out as she giggled, holding her arms out to him as Natsu felt that strange warmth surge through him once more.

"Hey there little one." He said in a fatherly tone, laughing softly as she giggled in radiant happiness.

Moving over to her with more confidence and vigor then he had before, he was mildly surprised when she tried to stand up to get to him faster. Laughing softly, he picked her up as she squealed in delight, immediately latching onto him as she let out a content and loving sigh. Nuzzling against his chest as his warmth seeped into her, she felt the most safe and secure then she had ever felt in her young life, a life filled with scary and sad things. Soon enough, she fell asleep once more as the sounds of her soft breathing reached Natsu's ears. Smiling softly, he shifted her slightly so her head rested in the crook of his neck, the child nuzzling lovingly into her newfound sleeping spot as Natsu reached for the envelope he had retrieved with the bag of baby supplies.

Opening the sealed envelope with skill only achieved through years of training, Natsu began to read through its contents and felt his heart ache for the child sleeping soundly on his shoulder.

"_If you are reading this letter, then I hope that you have found my daughter as well. There isn't much time left, I can tell. After that dark cloud appeared, the screams of my neighbors and friends began to echo throughout the city. Please, I beg of you to take care of that child. I... I have no right to call myself her mother nor do I have the right to call her my daughter. I have done many horrible thing in my time; theft, lies, extortion, blackmail and even murder. I even tried to kill her when I found out I was pregnant, and months following her birth. In my final moments, I wish to say that I am sorry. I know that I can't atone for my sins nor do I have the right to. But stranger, please do not let my tainted bloodline cause you to leave that child to die. She is innocent of all sin, a child who is purer then the freshest snow. Dear Stranger, if you are reading this and have given that child a home, then do her kindness and erase all traces of my tainted existence. Do not tell her of the woman that birthed her, of the woman that attempt to poison her formula, that had even thought about selling her into servitude. Dear Stranger, do that child a kindness and raise her to be everything that I was not. Raise her to be someone who can hold their head high knowing that they have achieved what they have without resorting to such underhanded means. Dear Stranger, please raise Nagisa to be someone better then her mother. That is all I ask._"

Gazing impassively at the letter held in his hand, he glanced down at the softly breathing girl nestled in his shoulder. Turning to the letter, he nodded his head and ignited it as it was reduced to nothing but ash in the wind. Releasing a solemn sigh, he closed his eyes and uttered a silent prayer for the woman who wrote the letter. While she clearly wasn't someone most would even consider a parent, she had done all of this and even begged for the one who found her child to raise her to be better then what she was. That alone proved that she had the love that a few mothers were lacking, even though it was in her final moments. As he shifted his body once more, the slight movement caused the girl in his arm to wake slightly as she looked up at him with shining eyes.

"Papa...?" She whispered as though he was a figment of her imagination, Natsu looking down at her with a soft smile on his face.

"Yes, little one?" He asked as her eyes gained a bit more of a shine to them, the little girl returning to her sleeping spot as she let out another content sigh.

"Love Papa..." She said in a loving and sleepy tone as Natsu's eyes widened before they closed softly, the Dragon Slayer finally knowing exactly what it was that was stirring in his chest.

"Papa loves you too, Nagisa." He said with absolute conviction, a tone that left no room for doubt or speculation as her eyes shone brighter then they had in the short time he knew her.

Rocking her softly, he hummed a tune that was reminiscent of his past with Igneel. As her breathing settled and softened, he turned towards the mountains that his guildhall resided in. Taking a deep breath, he packed up the bag that he had been entrusted with and secured his hold on Nagisa as he headed back towards Crime Sorcière. As he settled into a comfortable pace, he turned and glanced back to the ruins that made up Ristoro Town as his thoughts drifted back to the death and destruction that littered the towns he visited. A small frown marring his face, he reigned his temper in as he remembered the face of Jackal and the guild that he was associated with.

"Tartaros... You are all going to pay for what you've done..." He said in an arctic tone, making sure it was low enough not to wake the sleeping child in his right arm though he never noticed the ominous pulse of his left.

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**And that's a wrap guys. Hopefully not too much of a boring chapter, it's mostly canon still and I don't wanna deviate too far away from it yet. The encounters with Tartaros next are going to be different due to a certain pinkette's hated for a certain dark guild. But yeah, tell me what you all think alright? A lot of the scenes with the orphaned girl is actually because of "His Little One" by JackQuake, by the way, Jack bro, if you're reading this please update man! As for Nagisa herself, I'm loosely basing her design on Nagisa from Rave Master. Well, that's all I gotta say people. Hope you enjoyed it and leave me a review telling me what you think. As always, stay awesome and till next time.**


	7. Chapter 7

"Natsu!" - Person Talking

"_Natsu!_" - Person Thinking

**"Natsu!"** \- Large Being Talking

_**"Natsu!"**_ \- Large Being Thinking

**"****Fire Dragon's Iron Fist****!"** \- magic

**Hey guys, it's Dom here bringing you another chapter of Smoldering Ember. Sorry bout the hecka long delay guys, but I've got kind of side tracked because of my other stories and because of work. Well, not too much to say here other then I'm still not too good at writing a Fairy Tail storyline because of how much there is to write and tie in, so it's a bit messy like usual and canon like usual for now. So if you don't like canon stuff, just read the beginning, end and middle for the changes. Like always, I'm always trying to improve so thanks to all of you who have been patient with me, you all rock. And uhh, well, this is kinda a break from canon. Something happens to our favorite pinkette and well, I'm honestly just buying time for more of the manga and detail about the Spriggan 12 and all that jazz to come out so I don't make it all up, ya know. So, you all know the deal right? Read, Review and PM me if you feel like it? That's enough of me talking, you came to read right? Well, let's a go.**

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Smoldering Ember - Chapter 7

"Finally home." Natsu said in a grateful tone, doing his best not to wake the sleeping child snuggling deeper into his shoulder.

The trek back had taken much longer then he had initially planned, most of it was due to Natsu being conscious of Nagisa and doing his best not wake her. Speaking of Nagisa, during the course of the past few hours, she hadn't loosened her grip on the pinkette since she got a hold of him. But, for Natsu, in the past few hours of taking care of her she had cemented a place in his heart. Idly, he wondered if this was what Igneel felt when he found Natsu all those years ago, did he feel what Natsu felt when she snuggled into him and whispered his name? Shaking his head, he remembered the situation at hand as a small frown made its way to his face.

"I need to make sure you're in a safe place before I take out Tartaros, Nagisa." He whispered to her as he neared the entrance to his guildhall, ignorant of the fact that he was being gawked at by mages of said guild.

Nearing the doors to the guildhall, he stopped and blinked when he felt the gazes of four people on him. Looking up, he blinked once more when he saw the pale faces of Meredy, Ultear, Flare and Jellal. A small smile coming onto his face, he raised his free arm to wave at the four while Nagisa stirred slightly in his other. Seeing them not responding to his greetings, he blinked as they vanished from above him; the pinkette looking around himself before freezing and stiffly turning around. It was then that he was met with the faces of the four close up, each of them with varying degrees of shock, betrayal, confusion and panic set on their faces.

"Everyone, calm down. I can explain." He said in a stern tone, though he was still unsure of how to deal with the situation at hand.

"W-W-WHY DO YOU HAVE A LITTLE GIRL WHO LOOKS LIKE YOU?!" Was the collective roar of Ultear, Meredy and Jellal while Flare just looked stunned before turning her attention to Nagisa and blushing.

Their unanimous shouting being several octaves above the nominal levels for a sleeping person to take, let alone a child, Nagisa predictably woke up in start and looked around before her eyes settled on Natsu. Yawning loudly, she let a giggle out before hugging him tightly as best as she could.

"Papa!" She giggled as the faces of everyone paled even further, Natsu simply laughing softly before he poked her nose in a gentle manner.

"P-P-Papa!?" Meredy shouted devastation and confusion thick in her voice as she drew the attention of the little girl in Natsu's arm.

"Mama!" She giggled as she held her arms out towards Meredy, gaining the attention of the pinkette and the others.

"M-Mama?" Meredy asked as she trembled slightly under the stare of the young pinkette, the giggles that were leaving her mouth being far too much for the older pinkette to handle as she picked up the child.

As soon as she had Nagisa in her arms, Meredy felt an immense amount of warmth that was far different from what she felt when Natsu hugged or touched her. It was just as strong and comforting but also very different, something much more innate and primal. Smiling in a manner none of her friends and comrades have ever seen, Meredy brought Nagisa close to her chest and nuzzled the young girl as she squealed with delight at being coddled. Watching with wide eyes, the other mages had varying degrees of shock planted on their faces as they watched Nagisa and Meredy bond.

"Hey there cutie pie!" Meredy chirped as Nagisa giggled happily, soaking in the attention the older pinkette was giving her while the others continued to watch in stunned silence.

"Mama, mama!" Nagisa cheered as Meredy smiled with an even more beautiful smile, drawing the ire of both Flare and Ultear.

"Hey! How come you're the one she choose to be her mother!?" Ultear shouted as she stomped up to the pair, freezing instantly when Nagisa turned her gaze onto her.

"Mama!" Nagisa suddenly called out as she saw Ultear's face, eagerly holding her arms out towards the raven haired beauty to the shock of everyone in the room.

"W-What...?" Was the collective word that left both Ultear and Meredy's mouths, a bit perplexed why the little girl before them was addressing both of them as her mother.

"Looks like she's used to multiple women caring for her." Jellal said in a slightly mirthful tone, taking note that Ultear had a full shade of pink dusting her cheeks as Nagisa continued to giggle and reach out to her.

Moving closer, she was about to scoop Nagisa out of Meredy's arms only for the older pinkette to shift her body at the last moment. Ultear blinking in surprise, she narrowed her eyes as a growl soon escaped her throat. Lightning beginning to dance between the eyes of the two, they never noticed the crimson haired woman beside them take the giggling pinkette into her arms as a demure but melting smile made it to her face.

"Mama, hungry..." Nagisa tearfully asked a quickly panicking Flare as Meredy and Ultear's newly invoked motherly instincts took over, the two quickly rushing to the kitchen to find milk for the child.

Watching them run around in a panic, Natsu had a soft laugh escape his mouth at the sight before gently scooping Nagisa out of a now pouting Flare's arms. Rocking her in a gentle manner, he made his way over to the bag that was discarded when Meredy had first picked up the pinkette. Picking it up, he removed a bottle and formula out of the bag as he looked at Jellal. The bluenette blinking, he smiled and nodded as he took the items and quickly prepared the milk for the politely demanding child held in Natsu's arms.

"Here you go, Nagisa." Jellal told the gratefully and smiling pinkette as she happily ate, the smile on the bluenette's face brighter then anyone would have remembered.

(Time Skip - Half An Hour Later)

Once again asleep, Nagisa was being guarded by a trio of both jealous but understanding women as they cooed and squealed at her sleeping face. A smile on the faces of the men sitting at the bar as they watched the adorable exchange, they faded away as Natsu relayed what had happened while he was away. A frown replacing Jellal's smile while a snarl replaced Natsu's, they began discussing their plan of attack as another danger loomed nearby.

"Damn it, something's wrong!" Natsu shouted in panic and anger, startling everyone in the guild as he sprinted towards the door.

"Everyone, please make sure that Nagisa is safe! I know you'll all protect her!" He shouted back as he exited the building, quickly igniting his feet as he rocketed towards the two familiar sources of magic.

"... If it's escalated this quickly, I'll need to head off as well. Meredy, could you accompany me please? Ultear and Flare, you two follow Natsu's orders and ensure that Nagisa and our home is safe until our return." He asked in a serious tone, Meredy flinching before nodding with an equally serious expression of her own.

Quickly gearing up, they headed out of the guildhall as Ultear and Flare turned serious as well. Relocating Nagisa to the safest room in the entire guild, the kitchen, they made sure that she was safe and secure before they began planning for any situation that could befall them. All the while, the thoughts of the four members of Crime Sorcière floated back to the panicked face of their most powerful member as he sped out of the room; grimacing at what it could have possibly been that caused him to make such a face.

(Scene Change - Undisclosed Location: Crawford Seam's Home)

Soon, the two girls arrive and meet ex-chairman Crawford Seam. Approaching the topic of **Face**, the chairman reveals that he only knows that those who are linked to it are unaware of the fact. Just then, intruders approach Crawford's house and Erza and Mira, determined to protect him, ready to battle.

Knowing that the enemies have surrounded the house, Erza and Mirajane ready themselves, telling Crawford to hide in the back room, just as Tartaros' troops barge into the house. The two instantly enter their battle modes, with Erza donning her **Black Wing Armor** and Mirajane activating **Satan Soul**, effortlessly taking down anyone who would try to reach the former chairman.

"This is a first, being on a team with you." Erza said with a small smile on her face, Mirajane mirroring it with a smile of her own.

"Then, let's show them. The power of Fairy Tail." She said as the S-Class mages proceeded to take care of the rest, Erza switching to her **Heaven's Wheel Armor**.

(Scene Change - Undisclosed Location: Yuri's Home)

"Damn it! Stop it! Stop using my body for this!" Elfman shouted at Sayla in a panic, unable to loosen the grip his hand held on the throat of his younger sister.

"Lisanna! Lisanna, wake up! Snap out of it!" Elfman shouted at his silent sister, his eyes beginning to water at the possibility that he once again ended her life.

"I beg of you, please stop!" He pleaded at the demon, Sayla opening her eyes as a bit of interest filled them.

"Please? When a human asks a demon for something, they are selling their soul. Are you selling me your soul?" She asked in a calm tone, a stark contrast to Elfman's own teary and conflicted visage.

(Scene Change - Undisclosed Location: Crawford Seam's Home)

Standing back to back, Erza asks Mirajane if she's done yet, with the latter praising the former afterwards. The two then switch back to their casual attire, just as Erza notes that something is odd, with Mirajane agreeing that sending regular troops with little to no power after someone as important as the former chairman makes no sense. At that moment, Mirajane suddenly calls Erza's name and when the latter asks what's wrong, both of them fall down unconscious. They are then approached by Crawford who takes the female mages while letting Kyoka know that he has captured two subjects.

(Scene Change - Shaba Craiglands)

The Oración Seis, having been released from prison by Doranbolt, all convene in the rocky area of Shaba; Cobra stretches his arms and states that fresh air is delicious whilst turning around to his comrades and asks them if they think the same, though he is given mixed replies. After his comrades finish talking, Brain speaks up and congratulates Cobra for freeing them, stating that he never imagined that he could be diplomatic.

As Cobra chuckles, Brain raises his arms and begins to announce the rebirth of the Oración Seis, but he is cut short by a swift slice to the side by the man he prior complimented, surprising the other members of the Oración Seis, sans Midnight. With Brain falling to the ground, mortally wounded, Cobra tells Midnight that he won't tolerate any complaints, as he heard from Brain himself that the man thought of them as pawns rather than his "children"; Midnight replies that if Cobra heard it, then it must be true.

Midnight then walks over to his father and internally tells the man that they're going to go on without him, as well as telling him to enjoy his sleep; Racer asks everyone what they're going to do first: Angel replies that she wishes to take a shower; Hoteye states that he wishes to find his brother. Cobra however, sees Jellal and Meredy approach them and tells his comrades that they've company.

(Scene Change - Undisclosed Location)

Elsewhere, at the graves of his deceased fellows, Doranbolt internally tells Jellal that he's leaving the Oración Seis to him; Jellal, as he sees the group, smiles and mutters to himself that he and Doranbolt are now even and that he can count on him.

(Scene Change - Shaba Craiglands)

With the two groups staring each other down, Jellal tells Meredy to step back, and that, upon hearing her voice her concerns, he will be enough to deal with the five of them. Hearing him, Racer states that Jellal is selling them rather short; Angel finds his opinion of them annoying; Cobra hazards that Doranbolt sent Jellal after them. Midnight then speaks up and asks Jellal if he's come to put them back into their cells, to which he responds by saying that a former prisoner turning jailer is laughable.

Hearing this, Racer tells Jellal that they won't let anyone take their freedom away from them whilst Cobra menacingly states that if he so much as tries, he'll kill the Crime Sorcière mage; Hoteye, over the top of everyone, says that he wishes not to get involved in this skirmish as he has sworn to live for love, prompting Angel to question if he's still under Nirvana's effects, something which Hoteye denies.

The man then goes on to state that he'll submit to Jellal's wishes, earning him outcry from his former guildmates, though Midnight immediately jumps to Hoteye's defense by saying that what Hoteye does doesn't matter as they've each attained their own freedom and are free to do with it what they please. Saying that his true name is Macbeth, Midnight tells Jellal that he'll destroy anything that stands between freedom and himself.

"Well then, come." Jellal said as he entered a battle stance, the mages before him doing the same as the ground trembled slightly.

(Scene Change - Undisclosed Location: Crawford Seam's Home)

Bursting through the door of the Ex-Councilman's home, Natsu immediately noticed that there was no sign of the man or Erza and Mirajane who he had sensed. Narrowing his eyes, he took a sniff of the air and furrowed his brow as he could still smell the scent of the man. His hand igniting, Natsu brought it down as a concussive explosion of fire turned the house and the surrounding area to ashes. His anger barely affected by the action, he turned and sped towards the man's scent; intent on both getting everything out of him and ensuring that there would be nothing left of him.

"So, he's the one who's been leaking information to Tartaros. He'll burn with the rest of them, I swear he will." The pinkette snarled as he rocketed towards the source of the scent, his flames burning hotter and brighter as the distance between them closed.

"Damn, looks like they've got Lisanna too; her magic's in the same place as Erza and Mira's." Natsu muttered as he closed his eyes, sending an order to his guildmates back home using **Telepathy**.

(Scene Change - Shaba Craiglands)

Racer immediately moves behind Jellal, stating that he got tired of waiting, and repeatedly tries to hit Jellal, though the man dodges each strike and tells "Sawyer" that he truly is fast; the use of his real name angers Racer. Cobra then joins in on the battle and motions to strike Jellal whilst claiming that he can read his movements, however Jellal blocks "Erik's" punch, stating that he too can read his movements and throws the Poison Dragon Slayer into his comrade.

Seeing her friends fall, Angel summons a legion of angels to attack Jellal, and though they swirl around him, Jellal destroys every last one of "Sorano's" angels, disheartening her. Midnight then remarks that he'll be able to have more fun with Jellal than he did seven years ago. Very quickly, however, Jellal finds himself at the mercy of Cobra, Racer and Angel, with the three both beating around and mocking Jellal, much to the man's chagrin.

A short while later, Angel, with the assistance of one of her gargantuan angels, punches Jellal into the ground, warranting him Meredy's concern, though he dismisses it and tells her that he must defeat them all by himself; Racer and Cobra charge at Jellal once more, both shouting that they won't let anyone steal their freedom and simultaneously strike the man before following up with a series of swift punches and kicks that send him flying backward. Angel then summons an angel that attacks Jellal as she states that the chains that bound them are no more; Midnight monologues that their paths began in a dark tower and that their rescue at the hands of Brain was false as they only served as seals for Zero.

Before he can finish, Jellal interrupts Midnight by punching Racer and screaming that he will free them all, surprising them all. Stating that their freedom is still a lie and that it will remain as such as long as they stay wrapped in the darkness. No one present, however, notices the body of Brain shake and gasp for air as the seals on his face disappear; Zero begins to awaken. As Jellal pants heavily, Midnight questions the man's statement and asks what he could possibly do to free them; Jellal replies that he can defeat them, leaving Cobra, Racer and Angel dumbfounded. As he motions to cast a spell and tells them all to disappear, Zero fully awakens and rises.

Screaming that Jellal is going to be the one to disappear, Zero attacks the man with **Dark Capriccio**; the spell barely misses Cobra. The three combatants each express their surprise at Zero's awakening, Cobra in particular, who finds it both annoying and frightful that Brain survived his strike. Jellal, on the other hand, is completely blindsided by the attack and finds no time to dodge, resulting in his abdomen being completely pierced by the beam of **Darkness Magic**. With Meredy screaming in terror, Jellal looks on wide-eyed as Zero grins. Now laying on the ground with his blood spattered about, Jellal gasps for air and claims what just happened to be impossible; Midnight smiles at the man's fall.

With Meredy running over to his wounded body, Jellal calls for her to get back and run, though she adamantly refuses and states that she can't leave him as he is. He repeats for her to run and she refuses once more, adding on this time that they haven't lost quite yet; Jellal looks at her and, smiling, begins to say something. However, before more than a single word can be spoken, Zero pounces on Jellal and violently punches him in the upper regions of his body, sending his blood spattering once more. Maliciously laughing, Zero screams that his punch marks Jellal's end whilst Meredy looks on in sheer terror.

As Midnight smiles and Cobra and Racer look on in shock, Angel notes that there's nothing left of Jellal whilst Zero continues to laugh. However, Jellal reappears in a shattering of light, having crushed his own eyes to free both himself and the others from the illusion of his death; this surprises Midnight, who wonders how his illusion could've been shattered, as well as angers Racer and Cobra.

Wasting no time, Jellal casts **Grand Chariot**, summoning seven beams of light that lay waste to the Oración Seis. With them now weakened, Jellal enters a particular stance and casts **Sema**, both shocking Midnight and summoning a gigantic meteor that rains down upon the remnants of the Dark Guild, creating a giant explosion that leaves them all defeated and immobile in its crater.

With Jellal panting heavily, Hoteye makes a comment on the man's magic, calling it fearsome; from within the crater, Midnight calls out to Jellal, telling him that it's their loss before demanding that he kill them, something which Jellal says he has no intention of doing. Angel then weakly asks if he plans on taking them back to prison, another action that he denies wanting to do. Jellal then tells them that he wants them to join his Independent Guild, Crime Sorcière, surprising everyone who is conscious.

"What...?" Was the unanimous thought that rang through the minds of the fallen mages, not believing what they were hearing.

"Your prayers will definitely be heard. I promise you that. But, for that sake, what should we do now you ask? We should be fighting the same enemy, together we must defeat Zeref!" Jellal shouts as he grabs Midnight by the collar, the younger man shaking beneath him at both Jellal's visage and his tone.

(Scene Change - Cube: Outer Area)

Meanwhile, Franmalth walks with Crawford and assures him that his expenses will be covered by the ultimate reward when their plan is successful. Suddenly, the two spot a figure heading towards them. Crawford believes it to be coming for Erza and Mirajane but Franmalth tells him nobody would be able to find their base. However, those thoughts immediately die when Natsu burns through the wall with an ignited fist. Then, an explosion of fire consumed the wing that they were in as the pinkette entered the base.

"Where's Erza and Mira? I'll give you one chance to answer before I burn you from the inside out." Natsu snarled at the cowering and wide-eyed man beneath him, taking notice of the demon slowly rising beside him.

"W-W-What do you think you're doing?! Do you know how much it'll cost to fix everything that you've destroyed!?" Franmalth shouted in a panicked tone, fretting over something Natsu found to be insignificant and worthless.

His answer, however, was a flaming fist to the face before his body was send careening back from a violent explosion of fire. Narrowing his eyes, Natsu made his way over to Crawford before roughly grabbing the unconscious man by the collar. Delivering a brutal backhand, the man woke with a startled and agonized cry of pain that was quickly silenced with a fist burying itself in his abdomen. His eyes bugging out of their sockets, he hesitantly glanced up and promptly wished otherwise when he locked gazes with Natsu's now burning crimson eyes.

(Scene Change - Cube: Holding Cell Area)

"How noisy. Yakdoriga. Keep watch over this woman." Kyoka said as she moved to leave the room, pausing when the creature was about to send a current of electricity through the bleeding and unconscious form of Erza.

"Don't touch her, I don't want to lose the fun of torturing her." Kyoka reprimanded the creature, smirking as she gave Erza's bleeding form a lingering glance before heading out of the chamber.

(Scene Change - Cube: Outer Area)

"Damn it, answer me!" Natsu roared as Crawford screamed in raw agony, his voice equally raw from the torture Natsu had subjected him to.

Burning away a thin layer of his skin at a time, then ripping the freshly exposed layer away, Natsu was prolonging the suffering of the man he was interrogating by cauterizing the wounds that he made from each strike. About to repeat the process once more, he used the man as a shield as Franmalth tried to strike him from behind. Upon contact with Crawford, the man screamed once more as Franmalth started draining him of his magic power. Discarding the man, Natsu ducked underneath him as he charged the stunned demon before him. Beginning to cock his arm back, it was engulfed from the elbow up in flames as Natsu arrived before him.

"**Fire Dragon's Wing Beat**!" Natsu roared as he spun and smashed his elbow into Franmalth's chest, the demon's eye widening as a silent scream of pain left his mouth.

In the process of being sent back, the demon managed to remove his hand from Crawford and attach it to the shoulder of the Dragon Slayer; Natsu immediately gritting his teeth as pain ripped through his body. Narrowing his eyes, he grabbed the offending limb before causing an explosion of flames that forced Franmalth to release him. Panting a bit at the amount of magic power the demon had drained, Natsu cursed himself for his carelessness as he readied himself for the next assault.

Ducking underneath an outstretched hand, Natsu rose with a flaming uppercut that sent the demon staggering back but not before Franmalth managed to latch onto Natsu once more. This time however, Natsu felt his magic get siphoned away at an alarming rate. Gritting his teeth through the pain, he glanced up and saw that Franmalth had removed the protective armor that he was wearing at the start of their battle. Narrowing his eyes, Natsu blew the appendage off of him just long enough to make his escape. As he was about to engage the demon once more, he felt a soul chilling cold enter his legs. Glancing down, his eyes widened when he saw that they were indeed frozen from the knees down. Turning himself, he saw a bit stunned to see someone who resembled an older Gray.

About to attempt and burn off the ice that encased his legs, Silver stopped him when he waved his hands; the entirety of the pinkette being frozen with his **Ice Devil Slayer magic**. Satisfied with the outcome of the battle, Silver orders Franmalth to take Crawford somewhere safe. Immediately, Franmalth agrees to Silver's orders and begins dragging away the unconscious ex-chairman, remarking that they still need him for their plans before being told to keep quiet.

"Hmm... Something about this guys feels... Off..." Silver muttered as he began dragging Natsu's frozen form away, never noticing the corrupt black mark that appeared and quickly faded on the surface of the ice around his left arm.

(Scene Change - Cube: Hell's Core - Laboratory)

"Lamy, something's off about this one. Gives me the same feeling that she has." Silver said as he dropped Natsu's unconscious form in front of the bunny-like demon, Lamy's eyes lighting up immediately when she took in Natsu's form.

"A hunk! Silver-kun, you brought me a hunk! He looks so cool, even cooler then you!" She exclaimed as she felt up the pinkette's body, shivering with pleasure and desire as she traced the muscles on his chest and abdomen.

Quickly stripping Natsu of his clothing, Lamy resisting the urge to "experiment" with the sleeping pinkette, she placed him inside the tube that was beside Mirajane's. The tube filling with liquid, the tentacle-like demons that made up a majority of Hell's Core slowly attached themselves to the pinkette. Checking over the various monitors to ensure that everything was correct, Lamy placed a chair in front of Natsu's tube and continued to ogle his form as she imagined all of the future scenarios that the pinkette and herself could partake in.

Elsewhere in the Tartaros headquarters, Sayla tells Kyoka that Jellal is the only councilor left that is linked to **Face** and that they must find him; Kyoka replies that Erza will soon crack and reveal his location, as well as that Fairy Tail must no longer interfere with their plans, which Sayla says she is working on.

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Fairy Tail Guildhall)

Back at Fairy Tail, Lucy, Wendy and Carla relay the events of the last mission before a floating orb wanders in the guildhall. A bit perplexed and on edge at the strange object, they were about to move when it projected an image of Ultear. Stunned, they were about to speak when she beat them to it; relaying Natsu's message about the knowledge of Mirajane, Erza and Lisanna's capture, as well as of Crawford's traitorous nature. As she reveals that Tartaros' headquarters is a floating island and Levy begins pinpointing its trajectory, a **Macro**-possessed Elfman stumbles into the guild, preparing to execute Sayla's plan.

"Elfman!"

"You're alright after all!"

"S-So it's true, Lisanna's been taken too!"

"Lisanna... She's been capture..." Elfman replied in a low and dead tone, his eyes matching as everyone grimaced at the confirmed information.

"Don't worry Elfman, Levy's already calculating when and where Cube is." Gray said in a reassuring manner to the broken man, Elfman's eye twitching the slightest before calming.

"Pathetic. Your sister gets captured and you come crawling back here without even trying to go after who's responsible?" Cana said as she berated the large man, his shoulder visibly sagging as everyone snapped at her.

"I-I... I lost sight of them..." He muttered under his breath as Cana's brow visibly twitched with irritation and anger.

"Lost sight of them?! The people that captured Lisanna managed to evade you even when you're able to transform into a beast?" She shouted at him, drawing the attention of everyone in the guild as she began berating him even more.

"Cana, that's enough!" Gray snapped back in anger, Cana glancing at him before turning and focusing once again on the drink before her.

"I'm sorry... I just... I just need to get some sleep..." He said in a quiet tone, heading towards the back of the guild as everyone else watched on.

"Everyone's on edge, aren't they..." Carla quipped as Wendy held her close, Lucy doing the same with Happy.

"You didn't need to go that far, Cana." Gray reprimanded the brunette, Cana finishing the contents of her drink before sighing.

Walking down to the basement, Elfman recalls the mission given to him by Sayla and her **Macro**: destroy Fairy Tail and he shall be given Lisanna. With the explosive Lacrima gifted unto him in hand, Elfman states that for his sister's return, he will obliterate Fairy Tail, the Lacrima in Elfman's possession prepares for detonation as the man cries, stating that he loves Lisanna.

(Scene Change - Cube: Command Center)

Meanwhile, at Tartaros headquarters, Crawford reveals to Franmalth that he found a way to transfer Jellal's **Organic Link** to himself via his **Super Archive**, piquing Franmalth's interest. At that moment, however, Kyoka arrives and kills Crawford, thereby unsealing **Face**.

With the third seal broken, **Face** begins to unseal itself; Cube reacts to such a thing rather violently. In the control room, Kyoka asks Franmalth for **Face**'s coordinates, with him replying that they're rather far from where they expected it to surface. As she continues by asking him to activate, Franmalth states that Crawford was the only one who could and that they'll have to do it manually, causing Kyoka to regret her hastiness. Just then, Sayla enters to control room and tells her two fellow Demon Gates that Fairy Tail's time is almost at an end.

(Scene Change - Cube: Hell's Core - Laboratory)

Meanwhile, in Hell's Core, Lamy enters and heralds the revival of Jackal and Tempester, as well as the successful conversion of Minerva into a Demon, before going to Mirajane's tank and expressing her desire to modify her into something ugly.

Skipping over to Natsu's tank, she squeals with delight at his perfect form; drawing the attention of Tempester and Jackal. The two heading over to examine him, they felt a wave of nostalgia wash over them before shaking their heads at the thought. Scoffing at his form, they headed out of the room as Lamy continued to fantasize about the activities the pinkette and herself would be partaking in.

"You'll be the perfect and most handsome pet, ever! I'll be sure to take good care of you, and I do mean _good care_." Lamy said in a flirtatious and lusty tone, her eyes shining with untamed desire and lust as she devoured the pinkette's form with her eyes once more.

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Fairy Tail Guildhall - Basement)

At the same time, in Fairy Tail's basement, Cana stumbles upon Elfman and the Lacrima, causing the man to pounce on her and tells her and Fairy Tail to perish; Cana realizes that he's being controlled. As everyone upstairs prepares to attack Tartaros, as Levy has found out that they're directly above them, the Lacrima goes off, completely eradicating the guild building, leaving Sayla in a state of triumph.

(Scene Change - Cube: Inner Area)

With the explosion shaking the citizens of Magnolia, Kyoka congratulates Sayla on her act and remarks that their need to bring Cube to Magnolia was pointless. Before they can activate **Face**, Franmalth detects a large number of magical entities approaching Cube, warranting Kyoka's attention. A soldier then comes in and tells the three Demon Gates that three shadows are coming towards them, but Franmalth says that he detects many more. To end their confusion, Sayla displays Undercube and sees Fairy Tail's Exceed flying right towards them carrying cards.

It is revealed that mere minutes earlier, Cana saved the entire guild by trapping them in her **M****agic Cards** and having them be flown to Cube. With the Demon Gates now in a panic, a gravitational field is activated and the Exceeds are sucked into Undercube as the recently-deployed enemy approaches them; Cana releases everyone from her cards and they begin their counterattack. At the same time, she tells a now-free Elfman that he needs to stand up and help them so they can get Mirajane and Lisanna back.

(Scene Change - Cube: Hell's Core - Laboratory)

Back at Hell's Core, Mirajane awakens, frightening Lamy, and tells her that her experiments have only served to strengthen her. At that exact moment, Kyoka travels to the dungeons to check on Erza, but is ambushed by Lisanna, who escaped her cells, with no Erza in sight. As Kyoka asks where Erza is, the woman emerges from a hole in the wall with Yakdoriga's body draped across her shoulders and tells the Demon that she intends to repay her acts to her in kind.

As the Fairies began their counter attack, they all failed to take notice of the tank that held Natsu. The mages and demons in the lab failing to notice that the tendrils that were attached to it had moved it to a much more secure and safe location, away from the impending battleground.

(Scene Change - Cube: Holding Cell Area)

With the situation now reversed, Kyoka finds herself suspended by the magic-nullifying cuffs with her former prisoners interrogating her. After easily offering information on Mirajane's location, though truthfully denying any knowledge of Elfman, Lisanna runs off to save her sister. After they leave, Erza is told that **Face** was unsealed, but that Jellal remains alive due a different method being used.

In the blink of an eye, Kyoka extends her claws and utilizes Erza's distraction to break free. With a smirk, she self-proclaims to of have fooled Erza, revealing that those who employ Curses are unaffected by restraints made to seal magic. She dives in to ambush Erza, but the latter is rather quick to counterattack, successfully stopping the enemy's attack with her arm. In disbelief, Kyoka receives a kick to the face, which send she flying backwards. Erza, whilst staring at Kyoka, calls her a servant of Zeref.

Kyoka, however, reveals that they are books written by the love of Zeref, naming herself a child of the Black mage. She extends her claws further, but Erza is quick to dodge them and make use of her sword to match Kyoka's attacks. Moving in to attack Erza once again with her claws, she is caught off guard as Erza **Requips** her sword and armor, who uses the newly brought out lance of her **Piercing Armor** to slam Kyoka onto the ground, and create a breach within Cube, where she finds her comrades fighting Tartaros.

(Scene Change - Cube: Undercube)

Meanwhile, at Undercube, the healthy members of Fairy Tail struggle against the Tartaros minions as they need to protect their wounded; their progress is hindered by the overwhelming numbers of their enemy. As they try to figure out how to get to the castle, Erza pierces through Undercube, having driven Kyoka straight through the floating island. This provides Fairy Tail the breach they needed to get inside the Dark Guild's fortress. Concurrently, inside Tartaros Headquarters, Lisanna runs into several of the Dark Guild's minions, from whom she flees from, not passing the chance to find Mirajane.

Outside, Fairy Tail, led by Elfman, enters that breach and begins their attack on Tartaros while Kyoka insists on continuing her fight with Erza, though not before the latter tells Lucy that **Face** has been unsealed and that she needs to deactivate it. Concurrently, Lisanna reunites with Mirajane in Hell's Core, where she informs her that she, Elfman and Erza were captured, however Sayla appears and tells them that Elfman was not captured; Lisanna warns Mirajane of her ability to control people. Sayla then recounts her order for Elfman to destroy Fairy Tail, but cites her failing embarrassment in front of Kyoka and states that she'll take her life as payment, which Mirajane crazily scoffs at.

(Scene Change - Cube: Control Room)

At the same time, in the control room, Franmalth goes over the large error in their calculations but hides when he notices Wendy, Lucy, Happy and Carla enter. They soon discover that **Face** has been activated manually (courtesy of Ezel) and has forty-one minutes until detonation; panic then continues to ensue when Keyes enters the room.

Now faced with Keyes, Lucy spots the timer and notices that one minute has already passed, concluding that they need to distract him and just move on. As the Exceeds note the possible danger of the situation, Franmalth comes out of hiding and tells them that it's already dangerous, which prompts Lucy to summon Taurus and Aries, who both proceed to attack the two Nine Demon Gates, which allows Lucy, Wendy and the Exceeds to get away. Their triumph, however, is short-lived as Keyes quickly materializes in front of them; Gray appears and punches Keyes, which turns his body into numerous particles, and allows Lucy and Wendy to fly past. As he reforms, Keyes makes note that Gray is something of Silver's.

(Scene Change - Cube: Laboratory)

Utilizing her **Macro**, Sayla quickly pushes Mirajane on the defensive by attacking her with a large amount of books, which creates distance between the two, thereby preventing Mirajane from staging an ample counterattack; this continues on for some time, with Sayla eventually pushing Mirajane to a total defensive formation. However, as Lisanna watches this, Lamy latches onto her from behind, stating that she'll be the girl's opponent. While Lisanna and Lamy struggle with each other, Sayla ceases her assault and questions Mirajane as to what she is, as her **Macro** has no effect on her.

(Scene Change - Cube: Fairies Entrance)

After an undisclosed amount of time, Gray continues to attack Keyes with his ice, but curses his inability to put a scratch on the Demon, as whenever his ice makes contact, Keyes' body turns into mist. Keyes, meanwhile, sensing the impending activation of **Face**, makes a comment about the mages' downfall occurring soon.

(Scene Change - Cube: Control Room)

Now faced with Keyes, Lucy spots the timer and notices that one minute has already passed, concluding that they need to distract him and just move on. As the Exceeds note the possible danger of the situation, Franmalth comes out of hiding and tells them that it's already dangerous, which prompts Lucy to summon Taurus and Aries, who both proceed to attack the two Nine Demon Gates, which allows Lucy, Wendy and the Exceeds to get away. Their triumph, however, is short-lived as Keyes quickly materializes in front of them; Gray appears and punches Keyes, which turns his body into numerous particles, and allows Lucy and Wendy to fly past.

As he reforms, Keyes makes note that Gray is something of Silver's. As she continues down the corridor, Lucy spots a window but is blocked by the appearance of Aries' wool, which confuses her. As she and Happy are revealed to have been captured by Franmalth, Lucy tells Wendy to continue on to **Face** without her; Franmalth makes a grab for Wendy, but he is stopped by the appearance of Loke. As he wonders where Wendy is going, Lucy tells him that **Face** has been activated and that she's going to deactivate it manually, however Franmalth regains their attention by performing Revolution, taking on the appearance of Taurus, whose soul he absorbed alongside Aries' own.

After a brief heated bit of bantering with Loke and Lucy, Franmalth refuses to return Taurus and Aries as they are valuable parts of his collection; Loke goes to attack Franmalth, but he adopts the faces of Aries and Taurus, the latter of whom's face Loke hits anyway. Now fed up with Loke and his antics, Franmalth performs Revolution once more and draws out the power of his strongest soul, whose appearance shocks Loke, Lucy and Happy; meanwhile, only thirty-four minutes remain until **Face** activates.

Before their very eyes, Franmalth takes upon the appearance of Hades, albeit with his body shaped weirdly, as Loke notes. Franmalth brushes this comment off, claiming that he's now the Hades, the genius mage, and explains that he attained his soul 7 years ago while following Zeref. However, he is surprised to learn that it was Fairy Tail that defeated the master of formerly strongest Dark Guild just as Loke rushes to strike the Demon into wall. It's not long before Franmalth retaliates against the Celestial Spirit, landing several hits, and then proceeds using **Chain magic**, while praising the magic of Hades.

Even though Loke manages to dodge the chains, he is unable to evade the final attack, through which Franmalth grabs him and Lucy in an attempt to take their souls. However, Loke fires his **Regulus** out of his palm, hitting Franmalth's face and cutting off the connection. Loke then proceeds forward and hits Franmalth with the full power of his **Regulus Impact**. The attack is, however, proven to be ineffective as the Demon uses Absorption to steal the light, much to everyone's surprise. He warns the trio not to take them lightly, in spite of defeating Jackal, as they're the biological weapons created by Zeref.

While Lucy gives Franmalth an angry look, the Demon states that magic is unable to defeat Curses and laughs that the era of mages is over as **Face** is about to be activated. Lucy, while using Horologium to check the time, realizes that it'd mean disaster for all the mages that are fighting and hopes that Wendy is successful. As **Face** nears its launch, Loke, Lucy and Happy notice Cube reacting as it shakes one more time. When the time is up, Franmalth begins laughing that **Face** has activated, however, Loke and Lucy realize that they can still use their respective magic.

While Lucy asks the Demon to return Mirajane, Franmalth laments on the ground. He then goes into a frenzy and launches a barrage of attacks, ending them with **Amaterasu: Formula 28**. As the Fairy Tail mages find themselves on the ground, Franmalth extends his arms, grabbing each mage in the final attempt to take their souls. Establishing Connection, Franmalth rejoices, however, he is slightly taken aback when Lucy continues to struggle, telling Loke and Happy not to give up either. Stating that she will keep her soul until she meets Natsu once more, Lucy tells Loke and Happy to think of things that matter the most to them in order to break the connection.

Eventually, Lucy wishes for her Spirits to be released and attempts to close Taurus' gate. Much to her surprise, this almost causes Franmalth to be sent into the world of Spirits and he is forced to eject Taurus out of his body. Lucy repeats the scenario with Aries, as well as Loke. In fear, the Demon lets go of him and Lucy grins as her plan to free Loke succeeded. Bare-handed, Taros and Loke charges at Franmalth, punching him into his face. Even though Franmalth is forced to let go of Lucy and Happy, he gets up, claiming that no magic will work on him. Much to his shock, Franmalth soon witnesses the two spirits picking up a huge boulder, an object without soul. The Spirits proceed to repeatedly beat Franmalth with it, until the Demon loses consciousness.

While Lucy sighs in relief, Happy is also relieved that they managed to defeat the Demon. The group then watches as a glittering light ascends to sky, knowing that all the captured souls are returning. Suddenly, a figure appears behind Lucy, uttering that it's not over yet. The soul of Hades speaks to them, claiming that Tartaros' true goal isn't **Face** and tells them to let Makarov know that he should "let the light out". Hades then disappears and Lucy and the others wonder what it was about. Eventually, Happy decides to head to Makarov, while Lucy stays to look for Mirajane and deal with the rest of the Demons.

(Scene Change - Poison Jelly Valley: Wendy and Ezel's Location)

En route, Wendy pushes Carla to fly faster but the Exceed questions how she will stop **Face**. Acknowledging that she isn't sure but will try, Wendy states that Natsu would do the same, as failure is not an option. Arriving at Poison Jelly Valley shortly after, the two Fairy Tail mages find an offshoot passage and decide to investigate, unbeknownst to them that Ezel of Tartaros is watching them from the ceilings of the cave. Unsure of how to find **Face** due to her lack of knowledge on it, Wendy is told by Carla to try sensing its magic. Observing the surroundings, a frightened Wendy finds herself caught in a wave of bugs, much to her disgust as she soon moves on. Looking down at her, Ezel laments having to deal with her, feeling she won't satiate his appetite due to her diminutive size.

Leaping down from his spot, Ezel attempts to attack Wendy, who barely manages to dodge the destructive blow. Knowing him to be from Tartaros, Wendy reasons that he is the one who activated **Face** as she continues dodging her moves, knowing that she doesn't have time for a battle. However, realizing that she won't be able to escape, Wendy decides to stay and fight, against Carla's advice. Activating **Deus Corona** and **Deus Eques** for resistance and physical ability, she follows up with **Ile Arms**, **Ile Armor** and **Ile Vernier** for enchantment abilities. As Ezel approaches, Wendy attacks with her **Sky Dragon's Roar**, seemingly blasting Ezel away.

However, the Tartaros member returns quickly, unharmed and wanting to go all-out in their battle. Wendy attempts to attack once again with her **Sky Dragon's Claw** but this move also proves ineffective as Ezel then activates **Tenga Goken** and utilizes **Onimaru**, seemingly blowing Wendy away. Though she is unharmed, Wendy sees the damage it can do and proceeds to dodge his next attack, only to be swatted by his tentacle and knocked into a rock formation. As he follows up with **Juzumaru**, Wendy laments her inability to defend herself, despite all the defensive magic she has used.

Blown further away and injured further, Wendy is stepped upon by Ezel, who prompts her to look behind her to see **Face** as it readies itself for activation within five minutes. Ezel reveals that upon close inspection, one can feel a high concentration of Eternano, magic-damaging particles which will eliminate magic and allow Tartaros to use their Curses as they wish that nobody would oppose them. As he proceeds to crush Wendy afoot, Carla pounces upon Ezel and begins scratching him viciously, telling him to let her go. As Wendy tells Carla to escape, the Exceed is grabbed by Ezel, who wonders whether she is edible. To Wendy's horror, Ezel proceeds to eat Carla as she attempts to communicate with Wendy about "air". Thinking about the air nearby and the fact that the Eternano is near **Face**, Wendy contemplates mixing the two and utilizing it inside her body in a manner to theoretically do what Natsu does. Following through, Wendy blasts Ezel away, much to his surprise as Carla comments on how weak and timid she used to be as it is revealed that she has activated **Dragon Force**.

With her new abilities, Wendy gains awareness of the things around her and utilizing the air under her control, Wendy increases her speed to appear behind Ezel even faster than his eyes can see and land a powerful blow to his backside. As he turns to retaliate, Wendy disappears from sight once again and appears beside him, landing a **Sky Dragon's Wing Attack**. Enticed by the experience, Ezel moves to continue the fight but Carla points out to Wendy that time is running out.

Acknowledging this, Wendy prepares to cast another spell to end the battle. As the wind gather around Ezel, the Demon is confused as to what is happening as Wendy activates **Shattering Light: Sky Drill**. However, Ezel is convinced that his technique will overpower Wendy's. Activating **Mikazuki**, Ezel "breaks" Wendy's spell and blasts the Dragon Slayer to the ground as he proceeds to enter his **Slash Attack Mode**. As time continues diminishing, Wendy moves to finish off her opponent. Standing up, Wendy uses the air once again and coils it around Ezel. Though he is initially unworried as he slices it apart, he soon grows concerned as it continues to come at him relentlessly, with Wendy using as much of her power as she can. Calling forth all the power she has, Wendy blasts Ezel upwards and away, defeating him, as well as seemingly destroying **Face** in the process. However, she and Carla are shocked as the countdown does not stop despite **Face** having been destroyed. Lacking any more magic Power, Wendy exits **Dragon Force** and collapses to the ground, wondering why things did not work out.

Distraught that her attack did not stop **Face**, Wendy tears up as she apologizes for failing her mission. However, Carla is convinced that there is still something they can do. Revealing that **Face** is still observing Eternano, she states that it is possible for them to turn that energy into something else and thus make an auto-destruction magic Circle, causing **Face** to explode. Revealing that it came to her in a vision upon being asked, Carla explains that she has seen a future where she destroyed **Face** by inputting certain characters. As she finishes, Wendy attempts to help her leave but Carla states that she can no longer see her future and thus if she activates her circle, they will die. Hesitating, thinking that they can still live without magic, she is taken out of this train of thought by Wendy, who points out that the others are fighting and still need their magic. As such, Carla decides to activate the circle and tells Wendy to escape the blast radius.

When Wendy refuses, Carla attempts to persuade her that it is necessary to save herself, but Wendy is adamant, stating that they must always be together. Saddened by her words, Carla states that she cannot fly while Wendy states that she can barely move and drags herself towards her partner, stating that though their time together is over, she had a good time with Carla. With only a button left to push, as she thinks back to all their memories, Wendy asks Carla to be her friend once again in their next lives. Activating the button, the surrounding area is engulfed in a massive explosion. However, the two Fairy Tail mages are rescued from the destruction by Doranbolt. Looking at the unconscious mages, Doranbolt expresses both surprise and happiness that such small people were able to destroy **Face**.

(Scene Change - Cube: Hell's Core - Laboratory)

With the battling group in the laboratory, Sayla tells Mirajane a key component of her **Macro**: when something has come under her control once, she can remotely take control of it again; citing her ability to make Elfman harm himself, Mirajane pleads for her to stop. At that very moment, however, Ezel, mutilated and extremely livid from his defeat at the hands of Wendy, appears in one of the tanks next to Sayla and very viciously demands that Lamy revive him whilst cursing Wendy. When she cannot do so, Sayla becomes the subject of Ezel's wrath, though she tells him that she cannot revive him as she is in the middle of a battle.

Mirajane questions what Ezel means by "revive", and Lamy responds to her question by explaining that they are in "Hell's Core", the place where the members of Tartaros respawn when their physical bodies are destroyed. Adding that they can do so because of a contract with the Underworld King, Lamy calls their guild one that is immortal, though her explanation of such a thing earns her a scolding from Sayla.

Stating that their ability to respawn is troublesome, Mirajane exits her **Satan Soul** transformation and proceeds to destroy Hell's Core, which she reveals to have been possible because of her having taken over the tentacles that work with the respawn tanks. With Sayla realizing that the reason why she couldn't control Mirajane is because of her ability to take over Demons, Mirajane says that she thought she could easily defeat Sayla if she could take her over, but found that such a thing was impossible.

With Lamy commenting that Mirajane and Sayla have to rely on their physical abilities alone, Mirajane enters Sitri and affirms; Sayla, meanwhile, invokes an "order" with her **Macro**, however, contrary to Mirajane's belief, she orders her body to release its limiter, which causes her appearance to shift to one much more demonic. Faster than Mirajane can react, Sayla rushes forward and punches the woman in the stomach before sending her flying towards Lamy and Lisanna. Just as she is about to recover from the assault, Mirajane is subjected to an intense Magical blast from a newly-formed eye on Sayla's palm that not only destroys the remainder of Hell's Core, but critically injures her and forces her to exit **Sitri**; as she struggles to stand and fight once more, Sayla merely looks at Mirajane with a blank, utterly emotionless expression.

Continuing on, Sayla rushes at Mirajane once again; the S-Class mage tries once again to take over Sayla whilst noting how extremely powerful she is. Sayla, noticing what Mirajane is trying to do, says that trying to take her over is futile and gives herself another "order": tear Mirajane to shreds; her order follows through, which results in Mirajane being sliced multiple times; Lisanna cries out in protest, but Lamy, now on top of her, merely shoves her face into the ground and mocks her.

As she is repeatedly slashed, Mirajane remembers the time when she and her siblings, as young children, were forced out of their village for Mirajane partially adopting the appearance of a terrorizing Demon that she went and defeated. After leaving the village with her siblings, Mirajane met Makarov at Fairy Tail, where she learned that she wasn't possessed by the Demon, but had "taken it over" with magic. After awhile, Mirajane recalls that she left Fairy Tail behind, but was followed by Elfman and Lisanna, who each revealed that they had learned a different kind of **Take Over** so that she wouldn't feel alone; Elfman revealed that it was their turn to protect her instead of her protecting them.

Ending her recollection, Mirajane thinks to herself that she'd gladly become a real Demon for the sake of protecting her family and latches on to Sayla, attempting to take her over once more. Though Sayla tells Mirajane for a final time that her **Take Over** is useless, Mirajane, through sheer willpower, manages to steal a part of Sayla's power, which she quickly realizes. Pushing her away with a shockwave, Sayla becomes scared of Mirajane's potential and attempts to kill her by releasing her **Demon Eyes**. As she prepares to deliver the final blow, Mirajane asks Sayla to reconfirm if it allows her to take control of someone who has come under its influence before; Sayla realizes that it was solely her **Macro** that was stolen and claims that she is the only one who can control herself with **Macro**. Smiling, Mirajane states that her order was to have Elfman protect his family just as the man, clad in his **Beast Soul**, drops from above and delivers a powerful blow to Sayla's back, rendering her unconscious and incapacitated which leaves Lamy in a state of extreme surprise. With Sayla unconscious, Elfman states that he's going to protect his sister.

As they exited the laboratory, they failed to notice the that the tank that held Natsu had vanished from sight; Lamy quickly taking notice as she started healing her fellow demons. Curious and frightened, she started scampering around the lab for any signs of the pinkette's tank; stopping and freezing when she found it. In front of her laid a corrupted tank of crimson and black liquid, liquid fire being the only word to describe what had replaced the liquid inside of it. Swallowing a lump that settled in her throat, Lamy hoped and prayed that whatever it was that was growing in that tank would spare her. Quickly leaving the scene and her fellow demons, she exited the lab in haste.

(Scene Change - Cube: Erza and Kyoka's Location)

However, Kyoka is not done for and drags Erza away from her guild mates to continue their fight. It doesn't last for long as Kyoka soon realizes that the **Face** plan has failed and decides to leave, with Minerva taking her place instead. Erza is both surprised and disgusted to see Minerva's new appearance as the newly-reborn Demon states that she is now to be called "Neo Minerva".

(Scene Change - Cube: Outer Area)

Mirajane, Elfman and Lisanna are met up with by Warren, Jet and Droy; Warren relays this information to their comrades via his **Telepathy**, where Mirajane apologizes to them. Lucy, hearing this, asks Warren to patch her through to everyone else, where she then proceeds to tell everyone that Wendy and Carla have stopped **Face**. Happy also asks to be put through, and tells Makarov that they met up with Hades' soul and that he told them to "release the light", which confuses and frightens Makarov.

At that moment, however, Warren's **Telepathy** is hijacked by the Underworld King Mard Geer himself; the Etherious tells Fairy Tail, after introducing himself, that they don't have to remember his name, as they are going to die. Mard then casts **Alegria**, which causes Cube to transform into a mysterious monster called **Plutogrim**, as well as trap all those, sans most of Tartaros and Lucy, in a mysterious liquid that leaves those caught frozen and fused to the ground.

Looking around, Lucy wonders where she is and what happened, while Plutogrim rampages through Magnolia Town, destroying the Kardia Cathedral. Mard Geer then reaches everyone, including Lucy, through Telepathy, to have the Tartaros' soldiers hunt after the girl for promotion as a prize. It is at that moment when a stream of water flowing out of Plutogrim hits Lucy and she gets swept away, soon to be found by the first group of Tartaros' henchmen.

While using a wooden board to stay on the surface of water, Lucy witnesses several soldiers going after her and uses Fleuve d'étoiles to fend them off. As more are coming, shooting beams of energy out of their weapons, Lucy takes advantage of her whip and maneuvers in order to evade and delivers a kick to the attackers. She proceeds summoning Sagittarius who defeats several more soldiers, until Lamy appears, proving that Sagittarius' arrows are ineffective against her **Slippery Curse** and thus Lucy summons Virgo instead to face the female Demon. An appearance of the maid seemingly annoys Lamy, claiming that her and Virgo's characters overlap, much to the Spirit's surprise.

At that moment, both Virgo and Lucy notice someone nearing their location and Lucy summons Loke to block Torafuzar's incoming attack. The Demon is surprised to have his katana parried by bare hands, even though Loke takes some damage. Lamy is pleased by Loke's appearance and Virgo questions the similarity between their characters one more time. Lamy then requests Torafuzar to let her deal with Lucy, however, Torafuzar simply states that he's going to carry out his duty and proceeds attacking Loke.

Lucy begins showing signs of exhaustion and thus, knowing how much of magic they take, Loke and Virgo are determined to defeat their opponents as soon as possible. Much to their horror, a third enemy, Jackal, approaches Lucy. Even though she wonders how it is possible that Jackal is still alive, Lucy decides to face him on her own and attempts to tie him up with her whip.

However, Jackal simply smirks, remarking that Lucy has probably forgotten about his **Bomb Curse** and proceeds using it, almost causing her to fall off the wooden board. Lucy questions her friends' whereabouts, but Jackal replies with more explosions. Torafuzar tells him to stop playing with his target, however, being under the impression that Natsu and Happy are dead, Jackal wants to torture Lucy for a little longer. She falls down to water as Jackal continues throwing explosions, however, Lucy soon grabs her chance and, much to the horror of Loke and Virgo, attempts to summon the third Spirit.

As Aquarius appears, Virgo exclaims that Lucy's body cannot take three Spirits at the same time. Exhausted, but happy to see Aquarius' arrival, Lucy stands back as Aquarius makes full use of her Water magic to sweep Jackal away. Virgo and Loke beg Lucy to close one of the gates while she can, however, at the same time, Torafuzar approaches Aquarius, claiming water to be his specialty, and slashes the Spirit. Before Loke and Virgo can help, they are ambushed by Jackal, who uses his Curse to deal enough damage in order to send them right back to the Celestial Spirit World.

Lying on the ground, Lucy is approached by Lamy and Jackal, who, knowing that she's out of magic, want to torture her more, in spite of Torafuzar insisting that they finish her off immediately. Thinking that she cannot let it end like this, Lucy is hit by Jackal's explosion one more time and expresses her pain, much to Jackal and Lamy's amusement. Torafuzar tries to stop this, however, Jackal threatens him, so the Demon decides to take a leave. Lamy then grasps Lucy's arms to give Jackal a perfect target, but Jackal instead grabs Lamy's face and blows her up, laughing that she is annoying. A disgusted Lucy states that Lamy was his comrade, but Jackal grins that Lucy should instead worry about herself, when, suddenly, he is hit by a wave of water and Aquarius appears to hold Lucy while controlling the water to sweep Jackal away.

Aquarius then states that all she can do is to keep the Demon at bay, however, she reveals a way to defeat him, something that is possible for those who can open 3 gates at once: summoning the Celestial Spirit King. Aquarius continues by saying that he is the strongest being from the Celestial Spirit World, but Lucy argues that she doesn't have his key. Aquarius says that there is no such thing and reveals that to summon the Celestial Spirit King, Lucy has to break one golden key. Shocked, Lucy refuses to lose any of her Spirits, but Aquarius continues, saying that it will work only if there is a bond of trust between the master and the Celestial Spirit.

She then insists that Lucy breaks her key. Lucy, however, despises the idea of sacrificing one of her comrades and tries to look for another way to solve the situation, but Aquarius states that she won't die, they just won't meet ever again. While Jackal tries to resist the water in order to reach the two, Aquarius states that she has always hated Lucy for being a complete opposite to her mother. Lucy brushes it off, calling Aquarius her first friend, but Aquarius exclaims that this is the only way to save her friends. Crying, Lucy goes with the plan and before Aquarius disappears, she realizes that not seeing Lucy again will be very lonely. She thanks Lucy just as the key is destroyed and Aquarius vanishes. Instead, the Celestial Spirit King appears, crashing through Plutogrim just to arrive to Mard Geer's location in order to face him.

The Underworld King expresses his surprise that someone is capable of summoning the Celestial Spirit King. The latter then questions Mard Geer's purpose and after hearing that Lucy was hurt for Tartaros to revive E.N.D. and reunite with Zeref, the Celestial Spirit King swears that he will defeat her enemies. The two begin their battle, with Mard evading Celestial Spirit King's sword until he manages to land his **Thorn Curse**. However, the Celestial Spirit King destroys Thorns with ease and proceeds using **Meteor Blade**.

In spite of destroying great area with his strike, the attack misses Mard. Meanwhile, Jackal attempts to attack a crying Lucy, but much to his shock, his Curse is repelled by a shield of water. Lucy soon realizes that the Celestial Spirit King has given Aquarius' power to her and after hearing his words of encouragement, she stands up to face Jackal. The Demon attempts to throw more explosions to Lucy's way, but she continues to be protected by water. Walking forward, Lucy chants the incantation and hits Jackal with the full power of **Urano Metria**.

Jackal falls down, defeated, and Lucy, having used up all of Aquarius' magic, follows him shortly afterwards. Meanwhile, Mard Geer and the Celestial Spirit King continue their stand-off, with the latter's movements getting slower, which is happily noticed by the Underworld King. Mard's thorn projectile is effortlessly blocked by the Spirit's sword which he then raises to cast **Galaxia Blade**.

As a ray of light falls down, Mard is surprised to see a full frontal attack and then smirks, asking if the Celestial Spirit King is fine with Lucy becoming the collateral damage. The Celestial Spirit King returns the smirk and a shocked Mard realizes that instead, Alegria has been dispelled. While slowly vanishing, the Celestial Spirit King explains that this attack destroys darkness. He states that he will leave defeating the Demons to Fairy Tail mages and returns to the Celestial Spirit World while Mard, giving a last warning that the malice for all humankind won't be forgotten, turns into stone.

Meanwhile, the Fairy Tail members are being released from Alegria. Erza charges at Minerva and the two clash one more time, much to the Demon's happiness. At the same time, Torafuzar returns just to find Jackal and Lamy defeated. Shocked and not knowing what kind of magic Lucy used to accomplish this, Torafuzar aims to kill her, but is intercepted by Gajeel. While the Demon is unable to believe that there are more humans still alive, Keyes appears to take Gajeel down, but this time, Juvia blocks the attack with her **Water Nebula**.

More faces arrive as Silver attempts to freeze his opponents, but his ice is cancelled out by Gray. Tempester, appears, covering the battlefield with flames that are eventually snuffed out by Laxus who arrives to assist his guildmates though he was clearly not fit for combat, the others taking note of his discolored skin. Praising Lucy for saving them, as well as his opponents for their power, Laxus states that he's "fired up", ready to face the Demons with the rest of the Fairy Tail mages.

(Scene Change - Cube: Erza and Minerva's Location)

The two continue exchanging blows, with Erza attempting to talk to Minerva, but the Demon corrects her, saying that she's now "Neo Minerva" and exclaims that she's been reborn as the ultimate Mage, breaking Erza's sword into two. While in mid-air, Erza readies to deliver a kick, but Minerva makes use of her Territory to switch places with Erza and strikes her instead. With a smirk on her face, Minerva tells Erza to have more fun together, but before she can finish, Erza is already next to her and, with great power and speed, hits Minerva's face. An angered Minerva attempts to retaliate against this, claiming one more time that she's the ultimate Mage, but Erza questions her reason for fighting and delivers another destructive punch.

Recalling her past and her father's punishment for being weak, Minerva gets up to strike Erza in order to prove her strength, but Erza yells at her to wake up while punching her into her face one more time. Erza then comments on Minerva's actions during Grand Magic Games, claiming that she understands they were for Sabertooth's sake. Minerva is silent until Erza states that her fist is crying for being involved in such a meaningless fight, which is when Minerva smiles and asks Erza to use that first to kill her. She continues by claiming that she's weak and thus she succumbed to the darkness. However, Erza argues that there is surely someone waiting for Minerva to come home, so she shouldn't ever forget that and Minerva looks at Erza, with an expression full of hope.

(Scene Change - Cube: Main Battle Ground)

As the two groups face off, Gray takes note of Silver's presence and the Devil Slayer grabs him and teleports away from the battle. Before the others can react to this, Tempester attacks with his wind, but finds this ineffective against Gajeel, who is confronted by Torafuzar. As the groups fight one another, Keyes notes that things are not over yet.

(Scene Change - Cube: Multiple Areas)

Elsewhere, the Mages of Fairy Tail deal with the aftermath of Alegria. Happy finds himself stuck with a mushroom atop his head, unaware he has been possessed by Franmalth, while Makarov leaves the group to return to the guild building, remembering what Hades told him.

(Scene Change - Cube: Main Battle Ground)

The battle heats up, with Laxus dodging Tempester's attack just to strike back, however, the Lightning Dragon Slayer's attack is effortlessly blocked by the Demon. At the same time, Gajeel keeps exchanging blows with Torafuzar, until he and Laxus attempt to grab their respective opponents and throw them against each other, but, with the use of his Curse, Tempester stops this plan and Laxus and Gajeel are the ones to be thrown into a wall. Worried, Lucy attempts to help, but the two reassure her, telling her to rest. Both Laxus and Gajeel then simultaneously attack their opponents. However, Laxus' attacks do not seem to have much effect as Tempester instantly retaliates, while Gajeel and Torafuzar complement each other for their prowess

(Scene Change - Unknown Location: Wendy and Carla's Location)

In a safe place, Wendy awakens to learn that she and Carla were saved by Doranbolt. Though ecstatic at first, she is soon brought to tears as she learns that though they destroyed Face, there are multiple such devices numbering well over 2,000 spread across the continent. As Carla proclaims it as the end, Wendy tells her not to do so, as she will no longer whine. Cutting her long hair off, Wendy declares that she will not give up.

(Scene Change - Cube: Erza and Minerva's Location)

As Erza tells her not to ask for such a thing, the two are interrupted by a de-petrified Mard. Recognizing his voice, Erza is hit by his attack, after which she urges Minerva to run. However, as it appears that Minerva has been done in by his attack, Twin Dragons Sting and Rogue of Sabertooth appear alongside their Exceed, having saved Minerva and wishing to bring her back to the guild.

Asked about their appearance, Sting and Rogue explain that they received Erza's earlier sent letter but were delayed in arriving due to its illegibility. Unconcerned, Mard tells the group that their efforts are pointless as Face will soon activate. Though Erza states that Wendy destroyed it, Mard reveals that there are over 3,000 Face devices around the continent. Telling them there is less than an hour until activation, Mard reveals that the dead Crawford Seam can activate them from the control room thanks to the necromancy abilities of Keyes. Asking Erza to take Minerva away, Sting and Rogue prepare to fight Mard together.

Remarking on their gall, Mard dodges Sting's opening punch and parries Rogue's own, even after the man circles around him in shadow form and attacks him from behind. As their blows are parried, Sting and Rogue tell give Erza the clear to leave, however as she does so she tells them to be careful; Sting replies that he isn't anything like Natsu and therefore doesn't need the advice, whereas Rogue merely tells her that they are entrusting **Face** to her.

Growing bored of their antics, Mard blasts them both away and easily deflects Sting's oncoming **White Dragon's Roar**, as well as Rogue's once-again from behind **Shadow Dragon's Slash**. He then throws Rogue into Sting and engulfs the two in a rose-shaped explosion that destroys a large area around them. As the dust clears, Mard says to the duo that he hates it when humans make use of Dragon Slayer "Magic", not believing their abilities to be real; Sting counters that he hates it when people try and hurt his friends, with both he and Rogue glaring down Mard Geer rather angrily.

The two continue to fight, however Mard still easily deflects their incoming attacks. Sting and Rogue, however, manage to slip several blows in. Unharmed by the strikes, Mard says that he finally explains why she likes humans so much. With Sting telling Mard to stop playing and actually fight, the Underworld King says that the reason is because humans do not see their own deaths, act purely on emotion and are oblivious to their weaknesses, finishing up the monologue by smirking that they are all purely ignorant.

Their efforts, however, still do not bear fruit as Mard simply blocks them all, even whilst holding the Book of E.N.D. He tells the Twin Dragon Slayers that, to make them feel better, what they wield is true Dragon Slayer Magic, however the two pay this no mind and state that to take Minerva back with them, they will defeat him. In response, Mard stops blocking just for an instant and tells them that they are the first humans to stand up to them in battle, and that he understands their arrogance even though it is not well-justified.

(Scene Change - Cube: Juvia and Keyes' Location)

Juvia attempts to harm the Demon Gate by kicking him, however, he merely turns into Magical Barrier Particles yet again and retaliates by swiping at Juvia with his khakkhara. After being struck, Juvia notes that she has a bad feeling regarding Gray's wellbeing, though mere seconds later, she listens in to Natsu and Gajeel announcing the arrival of Sabertooth's Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney. Keyes, not much after, mentions aloud that Gray's story is going to soon come to an end, which greatly angers Juvia; Keyes expands his statement, saying that faced with calamity and rage, Gray will make the same choice as his master did before him. Ignoring Juvia's attacks, Keyes explains that Silver's power was recognized by the Underworld King and as such, he was justly appointed to the rank of Nine Demon Gate, which causes Juvia to wonder why a Mage who kills Demons would be allowed to join a guild composed of them. Keyes ponders the reason as well, offering guesses based around Mard Geer's whim or a deterrent factor for the rest of Tartaros, but ends by saying that regardless, he was recognized by Mard Geer. Perturbed by this news, Juvia continues to extend her concern for Gray

(Scene Change - Cube: Remnants of Plutogrim)

Landing outside in the remnants of Plutogrim, Silver informs Gray that Tartaros has summoned approximately three thousand Face bombs, which causes Gray to wonder what the Magic Council was thinking when they made the device. Questioning whether that was all Silver wanted to tell him, Silver responds that he wanted to see Gray in despair; declaring that he doesn't despair very easily, Silver expresses his disappointment in the fact. Hearing that Silver wants to kill him, Gray asks if he knows about him, which Silver answers he does, and rather well at that. Unnerved, Gray says that he knows Silver all too well as well: his face and his voice; however, he adds that they belonged to someone else and demands to know who exactly Silver is.

Gray then proceeds to ask who Silver is, to which he is told that he is his father, which Gray refutes as he watched his father die, however Silver merely replies that he is Silver Fullbuster: his father. Enraged, Gray calls Silver's statement a lie and shoots ice at him, which is effortlessly deflected. He immediately follows up by trying to land several hits, but his efforts are deemed pathetic and he is merely thrown back, repeatedly.

As this occurs, Silver laughs at Gray thinking that his father is dead and cites Gray's angry face as one he has always imagined. He then goes on to explain that the part about him being his father is true, but states that things get more complicated. Adding to Gray's confusion, Silver says that he and Gray are part of a much greater existence and that they are destined to fight.

Curious, Gray attempts to attack Silver and try to find out what he means, but Silver bats him away and begins by explaining that the body he is using is a vessel; a corpse he found lying around. Adding that all the members of Tartaros are Demons from the Books of Zeref, Silver says that his original form is far from human. Stating that he uses a human form as a having a demonic body is rather inconvenient, Silver says that he happened across it by chance and has been using it ever since, though he adds that the body he has simply draws them together in more ways than one.

Finishing that he's been waiting for the day when he could kill Gray with his own hands, Gray yells at Silver, telling him to stop messing with him and that, unlike himself, he has no reason to hate him. Sinisterly smiling, Silver says that Gray is wrong and mentions that he isn't satisfied with killing just Ur. Revealing himself to be the Demon Deliora, Silver inquires as to whether or not Gray has forgotten him.

Taken aback, Gray remembers when Ur sacrificed herself to kill the Demon and calls it impossible, citing that his death happened over ten years ago; Silver admits this, but explains that Tartaros has a regeneration facility. When Gray asks whether he really is the same Deliora, Silver counter-questions whether Gray wants to see the same form he used when he killed his family, which causes him to snap. Now livid, Gray charges at a laughing Deliora in an attempt to finish what his teacher started.

Initiating the true conflict, Gray charges at Silver (whom refers to Gray as Ur's remnant), screaming his Demon form's name, and attacks with ice, which Silver easily dodges and redirects, almost impaling Gray with his own ice. Gray dodges, but Silver appears in front of him and blasts him away with a burst of his Devil Slayer Magic. Being blown out of the ruins, Gray creates a series of platforms for him to jump back into to battle with. Jumping up into the air, Gray tries to slice Silver with his **Ice-Make: Cold Excalibur**, but Silver catches the giant blade between his two hands and laughs before eating the ice.

Sighing, Silver reminds Gray that elemental Magic doesn't work on Slayer Mages of the corresponding element and then laughs again; he explains that Ur's disciples only learned **Ice Magic**, so in response he learned Magic which made him resistant to ice. Immediately after, Silver impales Gray with large shards of ice and maliciously laughs, screaming that after he's done with Gray, he'll kill Lyon, and then finally all of his friends. Angered with his father's face and voice being used in such a manner, Gray unleashes **Ice-Make: Ice Impact** to try and do some damage, but Silver simply eats his ice once more and counters with his **Ice Devil's Rage**, releasing a blizzard from his mouth that sends Gray reeling.

As Silver laughs at him, Gray remembers his father telling him to be strong and rises from the ground, promising to kill him with his very hands, however Silver replies that ice is ineffective and that Gray's chances of winning are less than zero. Creating a cannon, Gray fires rubble at Silver, which proves to be effective as he cannot eat rubble. After firing a barrage of rubble, Silver swipes his hand and freezes the area, thereby preventing Gray from repeating his strategy. Gray, though, smiles and tells Silver that he's dug his own grave, as he can pass the ice, which covered the Sun Village, through his body and recreate it into any form he desires. Citing that there's an exception to a Slayer Mage's ability to devour their elements (they cannot eat their own), Gray fires a torrent of Silver's own ice at him; though he is heavily damaged, Silver is not defeated and says that even if he can't eat his own ice, ice is still ineffective against him. Walking forward, Silver asks a perturbed Gray if he has remembered the terror of Deliora.

Beating Gray away, Silver asks if he lost his nerve and continues to viciously beat him, sadistically screaming for Gray to keep on scowling. He adds for Gray to learn terror and asks how he could dare to stand before catastrophe itself and think he could win; blowing him away with ice, Silver asks if Gray thought he could turn his anger into strength and tells him to remember the taste of despair, as well as that humans can never defeat Demons. Bloodied, Gray rises and tells Silver that he doesn't care, and that he must win no matter what, however, Silver counters that ice is ineffective against him and that he has prevented Gray from attacking him physically, as well as adding that he's not soft enough to grant an appeal because of emotion. Undeterred, Gray says that he has a trump card and assumes the position for **Iced Shell**.

Taken aback, Silver tells Gray to stop bluffing, as Iced Shell will cost him his life to use, as well as adding that Ice Magic doesn't work on him, but Gray counters that it worked over ten years ago when Ur froze him; Silver says that was before he learned Ice Devil Slayer Magic, which prompts Gray to comment that Silver should be able to survive his attack. With Silver that he will die if he continues, Gray screams that he's going to surpass Deliora and begins casting **Iced Shell**, prompting Silver to back away and attack Gray, however he merely attacks a clone. The real Gray appears behind Silver and remembers when Natsu stopped him from using Iced Shell the first time, as well as all his friends, and says sorry before casting Iced Shell; Silver screams in fear but ultimately overcomes Iced Shell, breaking the spell.

The Gray that casted **Iced Shell** is then revealed to be a clone as well, and the real Gray again appears behind Silver and tells his friends that he's sorry for almost throwing his life away. Stating that he refuses to die, Gray grabs a steel ball from the rubble, explaining that like in the Sun Village he unfroze the ice, and casts **Ice-Make: Vambrace**, throwing the steel ball at Silver with immense force. The ball tears through his chest and Silver falls to the ground, smirking and praising Gray's work.

Panting heavily, asks Silver if he believed that he wasn't going to realize the truth; asking what Silver was thinking, Gray states that the man isn't Deliora the Demon at all and says that Silver is, in truth, his real father, which causes Silver to sorrowfully look into the sky.

Silver tells his son to finish him off, but Gray adamantly refuses; Silver explains that he's been waiting for Gray to kill him as he is no longer human nor Demon: he is a corpse that was revived by Keyes' **Necromancer Curse**. He was used in an experiment, and unlike the other corpses, his desire for revenge, the desire to destroy every Demon that ever existed, kept him existing. Revealing that he killed Demons in secret while in Tartaros, Silver apologizes for the Sun Village, as the flames weren't demonic. Continuing on, Silver explains that he was about to destroy Tartaros when he learned that Gray was alive and that he had no right to fight for his or Mika's sake, as his hands were too stained.

Gray inquires as to whether or not that that's why Silver wants to die, but he corrects him, saying that he's already dead and wants to disappear, opting to leave everything to Gray. Gray shouts that it's not up to him to do so, but Silver merely says that Gray doesn't need to do anything and apologizes for his words and actions; Gray realizes that Silver acted the way he did so that Gray could sort out his inner turmoil, while Silver simply tells Gray that he's better off forgetting him, as his dad died long ago.

Stating that he's wrong, Silver says that no father would ever hit his child and begs for Gray to finish him, and although Gray creates a sword for the job, saying that he must eliminate threats to Fairy Tail, he drops his weapon and cries, screaming that he can't kill his own father. At this, Silver rises and hugs his son, telling him that he's grown into a fine man and that he is his and Mika's pride and joy.

(Scene Change - Cube: Juvia and Keyes' Location)

As she is struck by Keyes again, Juvia reflects on Keyes' earlier statement regarding Gray's choice and concludes that Keyes' must be referring to Gray using **Iced Shell**. Then, as Silver reveals his true nature to Gray, Keyes explains that Silver is merely a corpse and that his true nature shall be revealed; Juvia finds the fact that Silver is a corpse to be impossible, but Keyes, devilishly smirking, states that his divination always hold true, which prompts Juvia to question what he is.

Continuing to fend Keyes off, Juvia is soon contacted by Silver via **Telepathy**, who she correctly identifies as Gray's father. Stating that he doesn't have much time, Silver tells Juvia that she needs to defeat Keyes, reassuring her with the fact that as far as the Nine Demon Gates' strength goes, he isn't very strong. Explaining that he's a necromancer, Silver tells Juvia that he's using the chairman's dead body to activate all three thousand **Face** bombs, and that the only way to stop Face is to defeat Keyes. Taking all the information into account, Juvia tells Silver that if she does so, then he'll disappear as well; saying that it is of no consequence, Silver tells her that she must do it for Gray's sake.

As she is hit back, Juvia tries to continue her talk with Silver but finds him to be unreachable and concludes that she doesn't have a choice regarding Keyes, but wonders if it's really for Gray's benefit. Keyes, meanwhile, states that they all knew that Silver was acting against them, but recognizes his anger as the reason why he was able to stay "alive" the longest out of all of his experimental corpses. Calling Silver a wonderful puppet, Juvia comments that he's disgusting; Keyes states that the living son and deceased father will battle each other to the death and create another corpse for him to perfect. Hearing this, Juvia screams that humans aren't his playthings, but Keyes responds by saying that, rather, they're his research tools.

Angered, Juvia attacks Keyes and tells him that humans don't exist to quench his boredom, but Keyes dodges and tells her that he'll kill her and use her corpse to kill all of her friends. As she says she won't let him, Keyes ensnares her in his body and tells her to kill him, adding that without him, Silver will also disappear. Tormenting her, Keyes tells Juvia to sever the bond of father and son, which she tearfully says she can't. Taking glee in her tears, Keyes admonishes humans and calls emotions unsightly impedimentary bundles of ego, swallowing Juvia into his Magical Barrier Particle body as he does so.

Citing that he's removed one obstacle, Keyes feels a throbbing sensation in his chest, which soon turns into a torrent of water kicking about in his insides. As she flails about, Juvia screams that Keyes cannot sever the bonds between humans; Keyes curses himself for falling prey to a human's Magic whilst Juvia tells him that Gray and Silver's feelings will reach each other even if they change, as they will always remain in the heart. Bursting out of Keyes' body, shattering it into pieces and utterly destroying him, Juvia states that that is what she believes to be the strength of human love.

Bursting into tears, Juvia tells Gray to forgive her as Silver disappears, but as he does so, he thanks her, telling her that his soul has finally found peace. As she tries to apologize for her actions, Silver stops her and tells her to merely look after Gray for him, which she tearfully agrees to doing. After agreeing to Silver's last request, Juvia falls to the ground, having been poisoned by Keyes' Magical Barrier Particle body, but is caught by Lucy, who listens to Juvia state that she only wanted to see Gray again. Lucy then tells Juvia that she will, which she affirms before falling unconscious.

(Scene Change - Cube: Main Battle Ground)

After Juvia defeats Keyes, both sides decide it's time to get serious as Tempester and Torafuzar enter their Etherious forms, while Gajeel activate his **Iron Shadow Dragon Mode**, Laxus commenting on his lack of a mode. The two Dragon Slayers briefly argue about who is stronger until they decide to make a bet - whoever defeats their enemy first will get a song from the loser. Determined to be winners, both strike the Demons simultaneously and then proceed to overpower them with a barrage of attacks, much to Torafuzar's shock. His surprise soon changes into fear as Laxus casts **Roaring Thunder** against Tempester while Gajeel blasts Torafuzar away with his **Iron Shadow Dragon's Roar**. However, still determined to win their bet, Laxus and Gajeel proceed punching each other, shocking both the Demons as well as Lucy who has been watching the battle.

The Dragon Slayers continue to argue, much to Lucy's frustration. As Laxus and Gajeel each claim that they will be the first to beat their opponents, Torafuzar interrupts the quarrel, claiming that they will be the ones to win and unleashes **Tenchi Kaimei**, filling the area with black water. Gajeel soon finds out that the water is poisonous and with Lucy, Juvia and Natsu already unconscious, he faces Torafuzar alone.

Torafuzar taunts and challenges Gajeel's pride and loyalty by explaining that those that devour his water die in five minutes, though he states that a human can't hold their breath for five minutes regardless. In response, Gajeel seals his mouth shut with iron and rushes toward the Nine Demon Gate, hoping to beat his foe before time runs out.

Torafuzar swims out of Gajeel's way, saying that he's submerged the entire floor they're on in water, then performs **Deep Impact**, sending Gajeel crashing into the ground below. Attempting to overcome Torafuzar's speed, Gajeel turns into a shadow and slashes him with his **Iron Dragon's Sword**, however, the attack is ineffective as Torafuzar merely turns around and brutalizes Gajeel. As he is brutalized, Gajeel calls Torafuzar a monster; the Demon tells Gajeel that he represents the strength of Tartaros and punches him yet again, which pushes the rest of the air he had stored in his lungs out of his body.

Unable to breathe, and therefore unable to fight back, Gajeel can do nothing as he is once again punched. With his consciousness now fading, Gajeel curses his inability to do anything and says that if he had air to breathe, he'd be able to win. In the nick of time, though, Levy arrives and gives Gajeel an air bubble which he's able to breathe in. The act drawing the attention of the demon, he renders her unconscious before moving to finish her off. However at the last second, Gajeel enters **Iron Shadow Dragon Mode** and scoops Levy up in his arms while hitting Torafuzar away, screaming for him to keep his hands off her.

With her now safe, Gajeel shakes the woman awake and asks her to give him air again, which she does, creating an air bubble for them both to share. Their air supply now replenished, Gajeel tells Levy to do the same for the unconscious Laxus, Lucy and Juvia, which she does as he swims back to fight. Fully revitalized, the Demon and Dragon Slayer clash, and Gajeel overwhelms him repeatedly; as he is about to deal a critical blow, a smirking Torafuzar releases steam from his porous body and hardens his skin, which causes Gajeel's striking hand to crack and break.

Over Gajeel's screams, Torafuzar explains that his defensive power is the greatest amongst the Nine Demon Gates and that he can adjust his bodily hardness. As this happens, the poison in **Tenchi Kaimei**'s waters finally takes hold of Gajeel's body, even though it was kept at bay by his iron skin. Immobilized, Gajeel is grabbed by Torafuzar and is told that the carbon in the water will now kill everyone affected, and as he squeezes the Iron Dragon Slayer, Torafuzar adds that Gajeel's path is at an end.

Cornered, Gajeel remembers the last time he was brought forward to the Magic Council and the talking to he had with the now-deceased councilor Belno, and the words which he was told: live a life of meaning. He then remembers when he found her dead not too long ago, and the regret he has about not being able to have thanked her for her care. Ending his recollection with him being compared to Belno's dead son, Gajeel breaks free of Torafuzar's grip and calls the memory a bad omen.

Now screaming for Belno to watch him protect what means a lot to him, Gajeel repeatedly punches Torafuzar's body until his iron body turns into steel, which occurs due to the amount of carbon his body absorbed from the water. Now fearing what's to come, Torafuzar is defeated by Gajeel's improved **Steel Dragon's Sword**, cutting through his harder-than-iron body in the process. With that, **Tenchi Kaimei** disappears and Gajeel, standing victorious, shouts at the others to stand as well.

His body stressed, Gajeel falls and wonders where Tempester has wandered off to, only to find that he is now above him. As he prepares to make a fatal strike, Gray appears from above and identifies Tempester as the one who poisoned Laxus, the Thunder God Tribe and Yajima, and deduces that an antidote can be made from his blood. Gajeel says that Tempester needs to be killed first, to which Gray complies; Tempester fires off several tornados which Gray freezes with his new powers. Then, amidst everyone's surprise, Gray strikes Tempester with his new **Ice Devil's Zeroth Long Sword**, encasing Tempester in ice. When Gajeel questions what Gray just did, Gray merely states that he's going to crush Tartaros.

(Scene Change - Cube: Inner Area)

The Exceed go to check on Mirajane during this and ask her what happened before she arrived. She explains that ten minutes earlier after everyone was freed from Alegria, dozens of Lamys suddenly attacked them and that Elfman and Lisanna decided to deal with them as she spotted Sayla running away.

(Scene Change - Cube: Laboratory)

"Master E.N.D."

"Master."

"Our Master."

"Erase useless memories for Master."

"Master does not need old memories."

"Memories erased from Master."

"Make new memories with Master."

The voices of the demons that were connected to his tank making the spreading black mark that now covered the left side of his body pulse, Natsu's eyes slowly began to open as a dramatic change was seen in them. His right eye remained the same coal color as they were before, but it was the look of his left eye that would cause the soul of anyone caught in its gaze to freeze. It was now a bloody crimson, a demonic looking pupil in place of its usual round or draconian look.

"Papa..."

The voice of whoever it was that spoke stirring his mind and body to move, Natsu slowly gazed around before inhaling the liquid fire that filled his tank. Slowly, more and more power returned to the pinkette as the tank began melting from the inside out. Before long, it was nothing but a pool of molten material beneath the nude pinkette as he glanced around, unsure of what was happening around him. Hearing a noise, he turned and saw that it was the last of the Lamys that invested the area. Curiosity hinting in his eyes when he saw her terrified orbs, he slowly made his way over to her as she crawled away from him until a wall stopped her advance.

"P-Please don't hurt me, I-I remade you!" She pleaded with the half demonic looking pinkette in front of him, her fear and terror overriding her previous lust and desire.

Blinking at her choice of words, he turned and saw what it was that she was talking about. In contrast to how it appeared before, Natsu's new, albeit incomplete, form would have captured the attention of anyone who saw him. While everything seemed normal, the thing that grabbed his attention was the sinister and corrupt looking black marking that ran from his left fingers to half of his body, ending at his left eye. The other outstanding features of his body was the tattered wing that jutted out from behind his left shoulder blade along with the demonic/draconian horn sprouting from the left side of his head. A bit taken back by his appearance, he turned back to Lamy as a terrified cry left her mouth.

Reaching towards her, she snapped her eyes shut for the inevitable explosion of pain only to feel a hand gently cupping her cheek. Her eyes slowly fluttering open, she found herself losing her fear as a blush ravaged her face when she peered into and was captivated by his curious eyes. Her breathing becoming a bit ragged as she felt an overwhelming amount of heat between her thighs, Lamy leaned up and captured his lips with her as a muffled moan escaped her mouth.

A bit confused and surprised at the sudden action, Natsu's eyes slowly closed as he gently pushed back against her lips; Lamy shivering as her body was filled with a feeling that was completely foreign to her. Her heart beating much quicker then it had ever done before, she moaned once a bit ore vocally then before as Natsu held her cheek in an intimate manner. Slowly, they parted as Lamy looked up at the half-demon before her as a frightening thought ripped through her mind.

"_Is... Is this what humans call, love...?_" She thought as she leaned forward and captured the lips of the pinkette once more, this time letting her tongue explore the warm cavern that was his mouth.

"_If... If it is, I... I like it... It feels warm and fuzzy..._" Lamy continued as she felt herself smiling, engaging the pinkette in a much more heated battle then before.

Moaning even louder then before as his tongue danced and battled against hers, she found herself submitting to his will as Natsu pushed a bit more forcefully against her lips. Her situation forgotten in the midst of the newly found emotion, she failed to notice the disgusted and angered face of a partially revived Ezel. Squealing a bit when she felt Natsu's warm hands make their way down to her hips, she shivered and smiled despite herself and the situation; for the first time since she was created, she felt none of the fear or apprehension that she usually felt when she was in his arms.

"_This... In his arms, this is where I belong... And where I want to stay forever..._" Lamy thought as she wrapped her arms around the neck of her newfound love, ignorant of the fact they had parted lips.

Her inner thoughts were broken when Natsu quickly picked her up and jumped back, Lamy's question about his action dying when she saw Ezel's sword impale the area they were just kissing at. Fear invading her heart, she found it strange that it wasn't for her own life but for the life of the person she had her arms wrapped around. About to let her **Slippery Curse** loose, she was stopped when a hellish torrent of flames began dancing around the feet of her pink haired lover.

"Wha-" Was all Ezel was able to say before his flesh, blood and bone were consumed by the ravenous flames that were protectively encircling Lamy and Natsu.

(Scene Change - Cube: Control Room)

Erza, Minerva and the Exceed reach the control room where they find Crawford's animated body trying to activate Face. Erza tries to stop him but is impeded by Sayla's **Macro**, which is also controlling the chairman's body, as the controller of the power and Kyoka arrive. Just as Kyoka is about to torture Erza again, Mirajane attacks Sayla from behind, freeing Erza's group from her Curse. However, Mirajane finds herself to have been too late as Face activates; taking Sayla's power for her own at her behest, Kyoka prepares to fight Erza once more, with each woman vowing to win for their respective cause.

Erza then charges against Kyoka, determined to prevent the activation of Face. Even though the Demon states that it is too late for that, Erza continues her assault, delivering a slash which Kyoka deflects and then replies with her own claws. Erza manages to dodge the attack, as well as the remnants of a pillar sent her way, and kicks the demon, followed by an attack with her sword, which amazes the spectators of the battle. Kyoka grins, praising Erza for her prowess, however, before the fight can continue, the two hear an unknown sound, but it wasn't the sound that cause the two of them to cease fighting, it was the geyser of hellish crimson flames that made everyone on Cube freeze.

But as if things couldn't get any worse, the distant roar of an all too familiar dragon sounded out as the Fairies stood frozen at their lack of luck. Turning, they saw the Dragon of the Apocalypse himself, Acnologia. Their fighting spirit dampening as they saw him near, they were thrown for a larger loop when a crimson dragon dispelled the tower of flames. Glancing around, Igneel wondered where his son was, only to widen his eyes when he saw his form. Gritting his teeth, he had focused his attention on the approaching black dragon; thanking whatever it was that stopped Natsu from fully returning to being a demon.

Glancing up, Natsu's eyes widened as a faint pulse of his heart told him of a connection to the crimson dragon above. Resolve flowing through him, he turned and gave Lamy a quick kiss before setting her down and moving to reach the dragon above. As he reached the surface of Cube, he drew the attention of everyone present; human, demon, exceed and dragon. Taking in his surroundings, Natsu narrowed his eyes when he locked gazes with Mard Geer, the demon doing the same as their magical pressure overtook the area.

"Who and what are you...?" Mard asked the pink haired half-demon before him, taking note that he felt very familiar.

"... I don't know... But you, you're evil." Natsu said as he sped towards the demon, leaving behind a flaming trail as Mard's eyes widened.

His fist igniting with a crimson colored flame, Natsu stopped in front of the demon before slugging him with a devastating blow. Mard's eyes widening, his let a cry of agony escape his lips as he felt his very soul burn away from the blow. Flipping onto his feet, he used his Thorn Curse to create a garden of dark roses that quickly covered and overtook the pinkette. His eyes narrowed in concentration, they quickly widened as he jumped back; a large explosion of fire consuming and burning away the cursed roses.

At the same time, the Twin Dragons of Saber Tooth met with the demonized form of their old master. Jiemma first makes a punch for Sting, who aptly dodges, but demands to know if Jiemma was the one who got Minerva wrapped up in Tartaros; he more or less confirms it as truth by calling Minerva useless and expressing his hope that she would've been more useful to him after being granted demonic power. Rogue, offended, angrily calls Jiemma out for abusing his daughter, however Jiemma denies that she is his daughter and begins to call her a pawn for passing on his powerful blood, but Sting punches him away, demanding that he be quiet. Unfazed, Jiemma informs Sting that he managed to inflict no damage and blasts him away, as well as Rogue shortly after, despite the Shadow Dragon Slayer attempting to sneak up behind him in shadow form.

Jiemma asks Rogue if they think they've taken Sabertooth away from him, to which Rogue replies that they've turned Sabertooth into a real guild, which causes Jiemma to hit him again, citing his statement as laughable. Stating that Sabertooth was meant to be the strongest and that Sting and Rogue have ruined his vision, the former Dragon Slayer admits that they were weak, but that they were weak in the sense that they did not see their allies as being such, and that they've had enough of being in a guild like that. Rogue then adds on to Sting's statement, explaining that to turn Sabertooth into a strong guild, they've started over from square one, and both Dragon Slayer agree that it is because of that they must be the one's to end Jiemma.

As they Twin Dragons attack, Jiemma, blocking their every move, states that he learned long ago that strong guilds are imaginary, and that strength is found only in the individual, which Sting wholeheartedly disagrees upon, telling him that they were blessed to have found a upstanding, kind and outstandingly strong guild right next to them. This, however, angers Jiemma and he slashes at the Twin Dragons, dealing critical blows to them, and shouts that reliance on another is the epitome of weakness. Sting counters this by saying that they live for each other, and that to live they have to love one another, just like Fairy Tail. Jiemma screams that their words are blasphemy, but Sting and Rogue tell him that they're going to fix his twisted-ness with a black and white needle; casting the combined **White Shadow Dragon's Rough Silk**, Jiemma falls to the ground, critically wounded, and calls their victory impossible before ultimately losing consciousness.

Watching from afar was the combined groups and remaining demons; though, they all had their eyes wide with tears and disbelief at what they were seeing. For the Fairies, they couldn't believe that the man battling before them was Natsu but that wasn't the source of their tears. They came from the knowledge that he had undergone a forced transformation into a demon, that alone crushed their spirits. For the Demons, they couldn't believe that he had the same presence as their master; the very same master that they were trying to revive to fulfill their creator's wishes.

"N-Natsu... No, not you too." Erza whimpered as tears fell freely from her eyes, gritting her teeth at her beloved pink haired man's form.

"Natsu!" Lisanna, Happy and Lucy cried out with tears from their eyes, unable to believe that the man they thought of as invincible was turned into what they were fighting.

"My beloved..." Sayla whispered as she took in the form of the pinkette below her, her eyes brimming with unshed tears as a long buried emotion emerged and swelled from within her.

"My love..." Kyoka said in a quiet and disbelieving tone, her eyes becoming moist as she was once again enchanted by his flames.

"You are not our master! Master E.N.D isn't a lowly human!" Mard roared with extreme amounts of hate and anger, his rage pushing him into his **Etherious Form**.

Spreading his newly formed wings, Mard creates an even larger version of his rose garden only for it to turn to ash from the flames of the pinkette. Narrowing his eyes, he held his hands out as he unleashed his **Dea Yggdrasil**, connecting with and sending the pinkette into the sky. As he was about to make his way up the tree, his eyes widened when he saw that it was being consumed by the same hellish inferno from before. Smirking, Mard watched as Natsu came soaring out of the flames as he connected a brutal blow against the jaw of the Demon.

The two crashing into Cube, they caused the landmass to rock and rumble as many winced and gawked at the unbelievable show of power. From above, Igneel smirked as he continued his assault against Acnologia, the two butting heats as a similar shockwave rumbled the air.

As they rose, Natsu was about to charge once more but froze as a strange mist suddenly overtook the area. Looking forward, he saw that Mard was giving him an innately evil smirk as he held his hands out wards Natsu. Then, nothing as he casted **Memento Mori**, erasing everything that was caught in the blast. The Curse causing the eyes of many to widen with shock and fear, they cried out for the pinkette as Mard exited his form. Though, those cries were silenced when they saw him standing.

"W-What... A mere half-demon, survived?" Mard snarled as he took in Natsu's bleeding and severely injured form, the pinkette's eyes fading in and out of focus as a myriad of thoughts ran through his mind.

"_What... What am I...? Who am I...? Why am I fighting him...?_" He asked himself as he grit his teeth, his flames igniting once more though they were wavering from crimson to red to orange.

"**Natsu, get that book away from him!**" Igneel's thunder-like voice roared, causing the pinkette to snap his head up as the voice echoed through his head.

"I... Igneel..." He whispered as his flames danced in realization, Igneel smirking as he ignited his fists as did Natsu.

"**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**" The two roared as they connected their blows again their respective opponents, the forms of Mard and Acnologia rocketing backwards.

Igneel then gets distracted for a moment, as Natsu easily overwhelms Mard Geer, with the Fire Dragon barely managing to dodge Acnologia's attack. The latter expresses his anger that Dragons are still alive, promising to slay Igneel as his enemy. Afterwards, they attack each other several times, until Igneel begins ascending. Acnologia chases him, however, Igneel states that he isn't escaping, rather, now that they are above the clouds, he can go all out. Acnologia replies that this won't be a battle, but Igneel's destruction instead.

However, as soon as Face begins its activation, slowly sucking up the continent's Magic, both Dragons fall down, with Acnologia seemingly being unconscious. Igneel encourages humans not to give up, just as other Dragons appear, destroying one Face after another. With both the revival of E.N.D. and Face's activation being stopped, he claims that victory is theirs.

"Damn it Igneel! Where have you been all these years, I've searched everywhere for a sign of you and you suddenly appear out of nowhere!?" Natsu roared at his father, grabbing Mard's head before smashing a flaming knee into it; sending the demon flying back one more.

"I've been busy you damn brat! You think you're going to get away with yelling at me!" Igneel roared as he continued to destroy the various **Faces** that occupied the area, Natsu snarling as he slammed a flaming elbow to the disbelieving demon's face.

Igneel then beings explaining the reason for Dragons being inside the Dragon Slayers, however, Acnologia gets up one more time and the two Dragons ascend to continue their battle. Acnologia thinks about Dragon Slayers being prevented from transforming into Dragons and Igneel questions the Black Dragon's purpose, to which he replies that all he wants is destruction.

Slowly, but surely, Igneel begins getting overwhelmed and Acnologia takes notice of it, with the Fire Dragon noting that this is what happens when you sleep for that long. While continuing the fight, he contacts Natsu through **Telepathy**, letting him know that another reason for his disappearance was to defeat Acnologia. Natsu wants to assist him, however, Igneel refuses and charges at Acnologia, tearing his arm off. However, his own body takes a great deal of damage in the process and Natsu watches as his foster dad falls down, being hit by Acnologia's **Roar** afterwards.

"N-No way..." Natsu whispered as he saw the dome of magic consume his foster father, tears beginning to make their way down his cheeks as Mard stares between the two scenes.

Gritting his teeth, Natsu grabbed Mard by the throat as even more hellish flames danced around his arm. Mard struggling with the pinkette's grip, he stilled when he felt the flames change to the very same ones he felt centuries ago. About to open his mouth, he was silenced when the flames devoured him. Natsu's left arm now pulsing with a crimson glow, he stunned everyone when a pillar of dark crimson flames devoured all traces of the demon. As they watched the scene unfolding below them, the surviving demons escaped using the battle as a distraction.

Meanwhile, the other Dragon Slayers reunite with their foster parents. Sting and Rogue learn that their memory of killing the Dragons was manipulated and afterwards, the Dragons reveal that they are already dead, thus staying in the bodies of the Dragon Slayers being the only way to prolong their lives until now. At the same time, Natsu made his way to Igneel's fallen form before he knelt down beside him, crying that he's now unable to tell him about all the things he wanted Igneel to know. The Dragons then part with humans, ending the era of Dragons.

"Damn it, damn it... Damn it!" Natsu roared as his flames increased tenfold, his tears evaporating as soon as they appeared.

"Heh... Thank you Natsu... For giving me a purpose in life... For giving me a reason to live and for showing me what love is... I'm... I'm proud of you, I need you to know that..." Igneel managed to wheeze out with a small smile on his face, the pinkette gritting his teeth in anger and sorrow at the words.

"All these years I looked for you and for what?! For you to just die on me!?" He shouted at his foster father's body, hoping and praying for the sound of Igneel's sigh or laugh resounding like it did in the past.

"I promise... I swear that I'll kill him... I'll avenge you Dad, I swear on my title as a Dragon Slayer... Do you hear me Acnologia! I will kill you!" Natsu roared at the black dragon as it seemed to glare at him, taking notice of the physical changes of the pinkette.

As his anger reached its absolute limit, Natsu's body started reflecting that. His nails and teeth elongating, his wing starting to grow as well as his horn; but the most starling change were the scales that were beginning to cover his right side, a stark contrast to the black pattern of his left. Taking a deep breath, Acnologia followed as they prepared their own magic for a final clash

"**Fire Dragon's Enraged Roar**!" Natsu roared as he fired a gigantic beam of superheated and concentrated fire at the Dragon above, the two beams colliding and clashing for a few seconds before Natsu's was overtaken.

Everyone watching on in horror, they felt their hearts sink as the pinkette was consumed by the dome of magical energy; many calling out his name only for it to fade along with the dragon above. A blinding light causing them to lose their vision temporarily, they glanced back up and saw that the area attacked was a mass crater of nothingness.

(Time Skip - A Week Later)

One week later, everyone is dealing with the aftermath of the war on Tartaros. The body of Natsu never being found, most assumed he was still alive until they found his scarf abandoned and tattered. It was decided that the news of his death be hidden from the general public, Jellal taking his scarf back with him despite the protest of the Fairies.

Makarov and the others stand before their guild's wreckage, where he announces that the current era has ended. Elsewhere Laxus recovers and deems himself to be unable to protect what he loves the most though he is quickly shut down by the others close to him; Wendy has her hair regrown courtesy of Cancer whilst Panther Lily and Carla discuss the current mental states of their Slayer companions. In Isvan, Gray visits his parents' graves in the ruins of his old town; he finds Juvia to have followed him and learns that she killed the necromancer that was controlling his father. Breaking down, Gray thanks her for setting his dad free.

In Magnolia by the river, Erza sits alone and reminisces about her torture as a child and from Kyoka. As her resolve wavers, Jellal walks by with Meredy and the Oración Seis, and tells her that she will be okay before walking away with his new comrades. Erza glancing down as she tightened her hands into fists, her lip trembling as she thought of the pinkette who was lost defending them.

Concurrently, Sting, Rogue and the Exceeds return to Sabertooth with Minerva, who sheds tears of joy upon being warmly welcomed back to the guild.

Back in Magnolia, Doranbolt meets up with Makarov and reveals that he has modified everyone's memories and plans to do the same to his own, but Makarov stops him and reveals that he has always been a Fairy Tail member, having modified his memories before to infiltrate the Magic Council. As Doranbolt stands in shock, Makarov announces that he will disband Fairy Tail.

As the ways of everyone seem to be parting, it wasn't the same for Crime Sorcière. Though the news of their most powerful and beloved member hit them hard, they carried on for not only his sake but for the sake of the pink haired child he had promised to take care of.

It was on that fateful day, that the world of magic would be forever changed. The end of an era ushering in the beginning of another.

(Scene Change - Unknown Cavern)

"**Roaaarrrrrr!**" The roar of what could only be described as an agonized demonic beast echoed chillingly from the depths of the earth, many venturing to find its source only to come up empty handed with hearts full of fear.

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**And that's a wrap guys. Hopefully not too much of a boring chapter, it's mostly canon still and I don't wanna deviate too far away from it yet. And this is were I'm ending canon for the most part, focusing on Natsu controlling is awakened devil/demon half. Sorry if you guys were hoping for a more happy ending, but I promise there'll be bittersweet runions and kisses and all that jazz in the future chapters. Well, that's all I gotta say people. Hope you enjoyed it and leave me a review telling me what you think. As always, stay awesome and till next time.**


	8. Chapter 8

"Natsu!" - Person Talking

"_Natsu!_" - Person Thinking

**"Natsu!"** \- Large Being Talking

_**"Natsu!"**_ \- Large Being Thinking

**"****Fire Dragon's Iron Fist****!"** \- Magic

**Ah, I'm back. Sorry guys. Don't really haven an excuse, just not been doing anything but work and school. It's here and new, but don't be expecting anything new anytime soon, sorry bout that. But eh, this is back so hopefully you guys and gals who've been waiting for it like it. But if I can be honest for a sec here, I really kinda had my heart die with Fairy Tail. My ship is sunk, least favorite ship is sailing (Not that I had any expectations for my ship sailing anywho) but eh, Fairy Tail hurts me now man. But enough of that, can't apologize enough for a year of not doing anything, and I won't make n'excuses. My writing has probably deteriorated from not writing anything creative, mostly been writing research papers and and the like so yeah. But anyway, you came to read, so let's a go.**

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Smoldering Ember - Chapter 8

With the dissolution of the dark guild Tartaros and Fiore's strongest guild, Fairy Tail, the previous era had faded away in the throes of time as a new one was ushered in. Four months having passed since the cataclysmic battle between the Fairy Tail and Tartaros, alongside the titanic clash between Igneel, Natsu and Acnologia, coinciding with the death of the two former; it was a rather somber and sad time period. With the members of Crime Sorcière, those who were the closest to the pinkette who had his life abruptly taken from him by the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse, they moved on in order to carry on his legacy and protect the world from darkness. Though, it was far more then that as they were carrying on in order to protect the young, pink haired child that he had promised to protect with his life.

(Time Skip - Six Months Later)

(Scene Change - Crime Sorcière Guildhall: Main Entrance)

"Ha... That was a rather grueling task." Jellal quipped in an exhausted tone, stretching his arms and back as he entered the guildhall.

"Oh, welcome back Jellal!" Meredy called out in a chipper tone as she waved at the bluenette, getting a tired smile from the older man as he returned her greeting.

"I see that you're full of energy as always Meredy, did Nagisa cause you any trouble?" Jellal asked the pinkette in a concerned manner, getting a negative shake of the head from the young lady.

"You know Nagisa, Jellal. She's the sweetest and quietest little bundle of cuteness! She's never any trouble!" Meredy chimed in a happy tone as Jellal laughed good-naturedly, sharing her sentiments as Nagisa was indeed the sweetest and most soft spoken child he had met in his lifetime.

"Yes, I know. She's the sweetest child that I've met, always gently and politely asking instead of crying for what she wants." He said with a light laugh, the pinkette across from his following suit as they fell into a amiable laughing fit.

"Well, aren't you two full of energy." Ultear called out to them from the second floor, yawning a bit while rubbing the remainder of her sleepiness from her eyes.

"Ul! Good morning!" Meredy chirped in a chipper tone, Ultear yawning once more before sleepily returning the greeting with an equally sleepy smile.

"I hope you slept well, Ultear." Jellal said with a bit of mirth in his tone, Ultear grumbling a bit under her breath about a certain blue haired morning person.

"G-Good morning, everyone." A quiet voice called out from beside Ultear, causing the heads of everyone else to shift and smile at a nervously smiling Flare.

"Ah! Good morning Flare-chan!" Meredy chimed at the anxious redhead, reliving her anxiety as a small and gentle smile marred her face at the warm greeting.

"Good morning as well, Flare. I hope that you had a good night's sleep." Jellal added with a smile of his own, Flare returning it as Ultear and herself made their way down the stairs.

"Oi, what's with all the noise so early in the morning?" A tired and irritated voice called out from the opposite side of the building, the five gathered below turning to see a half awake Erik yawning and glaring at them.

"Now Erik, no need to be so testy so early in the morning." Richard said in a kind but scolding tone, Erik turning to face the block-faced man.

"Tsk. Still feels weird using our real names instead of the ones Brain assigned us." Erik muttered as he was joined by the members of his old guild; Macbeth, Richard, Sawyer and Sorano, heading down to greet their new guildmates.

Once they made it down to the floor of their guild and home, they turned to face Jellal as he began reporting what he had done while out on his mission. Having been on a standard recon mission to see if there were any incidents that needed attention, Jellal reported that Fiore was seemingly calm and peaceful at the moment. The report causing a bit of relief to pass through his guildmates, he felt his brow twitch when he saw Erik mutter something under his breath having wanted to stretch his legs.

"Well, as things are now we don't have much to worry about. Though, be sure to keep your eyes and ears alert. None of us have the power to predict what may come in the future, so it's still best to be ready for anything." Jellal explained to the mages gathered around him, getting nods of agreement from all of them before they headed off to tend to their own businesses.

"Oh my! Still the sweetest little angel aren't you, Nagisa." Sorano chirped in a teasing tone as she scooped the pink haired child from Meredy's arms, the older pinkette's brow twitching in a dangerous manner at the blatantly domineering act.

"Sorano! What gives you the right to just take Nagisa from me!" She growled at the snow-haired woman, Sorano giving her a rather smug look as Nagisa giggled and snuggled into her ample chest.

"It's not my fault that this little angel likes to snuggle with me more then she does with you." Sorano quipped in an equally smug tone as Nagisa giggled at the two battling young ladies, Meredy's brow twitching in a mix of anger and irritation at Sorano's expression.

"Enough you two. Having some friendly banter is fine, but please refrain from doing so in front of Nagisa. What would Natsu say if he saw the two of you doing that in front of her?" Jellal said in a rather stern tone, the eyes of Meredy widening before closing a bit in shame while Sorano's smug smile thinned to a rather shamed line.

Sighing a bit, Jellal moved to secure Nagisa in his arms as the young girl giggled in response before reaching out towards him. The two young ladies bowing their heads a bit in shame, they quickly apologized to each other before the atmosphere turned back to a lighter note. As they all converged and gathered within the confines of their guildhall, they quickly fell into a mood of light chatter and laughs as the mages of Crime Sorcière caught up with each other and began sharing tales of their training and exploits.

"No kidding. So you managed to extend your range compared to how it was before, huh." Erik quipped as Sawyer began explaining the steadily growing range of his **Slowing Magic**, the Second Generation Dragon Slayer listening intently as the blonde seemed to be showing much more emotion then he had in the past few years.

"Yeah, it's not as far as I'd like but... I'm getting there." Sawyer said in a soft but determined tone, the two sharing a small smirk as they caught up with what their training entailed.

"Don't forget to get plenty of sleep, sleep is important." Macbeth quipped while stifling a yawn, having returned to his sleepy and laid back personality in comparison to how he was months ago.

"Oh? Is that true? Hmm... Makes me wish I had fallen in love with Natsu-san as well, then Nagisa being my little angel wouldn't be such a farfetched idea now would it?" Sorano said in a soft tone as she was regaled with more tales of the pinkette's exploits, though her ending statement caused a small surge of jealousy and protectiveness to spark through Flare, Ultear and Meredy.

"W-Well, it's no use thinking about it now. But I'm sure that you would've fallen in love with him if he was still around." Meredy replied in an equally soft tone, her eyes shining as she remember how beautiful and comforting his flames were.

"As much as I hate to admit it, that's a truth that would have no doubt happened. Natsu did have a talent for attracting rather unique women." Ultear admitted with a small pout, glancing at Meredy and Flare as they stared back at her.

Seeing her stare along with hearing her statement, Meredy simply smiled in a rather haughty matter while Flare flushed a bit at the rather truthful observation. But once again, the tension that was felt between them melted as they softly laughed at the interesting coincidence, reveling in the memories that they shared with the pinkette. Soon enough, the mages of Crime Sorcière bid their farewells to each other as they moved to either train, scout or rest for what was to come.

(Scene Change - Fiore: Cronaca Town - Lucy's Home)

"Haa... That was another rough day..." Lucy muttered as she started trying off the remnants of water that clung to her blonde locks, switching the task of drying to one hand while she grabbed her cup of tea resting on the table.

Since Fairy Tail's disbandment, Lucy was drifting from town to town trying to find something to fill the void that the lack of her guild had created. But as fate would have it, while Lucy was passing through Cronaca Town she ran into Jason from Sorcerer Magazine. After explaining what had happened to her guild to the man, Lucy was offered a position as a reporter from Jason. A bit stunned and unsure at first, Jason eased Lucy's worries when he said that she would be free to use whatever free time and resources she had to look for her former guildmates and friends. That was what cemented the deal and caused her to join the magazine.

"It's been almost six months, huh." Lucy whispered to herself in a nostalgic and somber tone, tracing her fingers over the emblem of her guild while an equally somber smile graced her face.

"Well, I'm glad that mostly everyone is doing fine. Gajeel and Levy are a part of the Magic Council's Custody Enforcement Unit surprisingly, Erza is travelling the world searching for any signs of evil, Gray and Juvia are staying together Amefurashi Village, Lisanna and her siblings are still together with Happy in Alterare Village, Wendy and Carla are being well taken care of by Lamia Scale and well... Looks like everybody is doing fine." Lucy whispered to herself as she smiled a bit of a brighter smile, turning to look at the sparse but special photos of her friends that she had collected over the months.

"I wonder what you would be doing if you were still around, Natsu..." She said to herself in a quiet tone, moved to look at a worn photo of the pinkette wearing his trademark grin.

Sighing to herself, Lucy wiped the sad look off her face and replaced it with a much more gentle and happy expression. Leaning forward, she planted a soft kiss on the photo before returning to finish her article. Taking a sip from her cup of tea, she mulled over what else to add in order to draw the attention of her companies slow but steadily growing reading base. A bit lost in where to take her article, Lucy opted to finish it tomorrow and headed to bed, no doubt still lost in the memories and future possibilities that she shared with her guildmates.

(Scene Change - Fiore: Unknown Location)

"Tsk, still no signs of it..." Erza muttered dejectedly as she studied the map laid out in front of her, various marking making it barely legible to the untrained eye.

Since the disbandment of the guild, Erza had moved on to find any traces of the dragon that took away the person that she cherished even more then Jellal. Though she was hunting for Acnologia, Erza already knew that it would be a fruitless endeavor as she lacked the means of even properly damaging the dragon. Even with her strongest armors and weapons, she lacked the **Dragon Slaying Magic** that could even hope to damage the dragon. More then anything, her quest was more of a means to remember Natsu by.

Why would going on such a quest help her remember Natsu, especially when she had a number of photographs and portraits of the pinkette? It was more of a way for Erza to stay connected to him, as his last proclamation was the promise of killing the dragon. By taking up his last promise, Erza was keeping a piece of Natsu within her heart. It wasn't something as tangible as the photos that she kept close to her heart, but it was even closer to her heart then they were.

"Wonder what everyone else is up to. No doubt causing trouble." Erza said to herself in a soft and mirthful tone, a hint of longing on her face as she remembered the happier times with her guild.

"No use worrying now, they're all capable mages. I'm sure they'll be able to take care of anything that comes their way." She added in much more confident tone, smiling as she remembered seeing Wendy and Lucy on the cover of a number of Sorcerer Magazine issues.

Folding the map laid out before her, she requiped it back into her pocket dimension before retrieving a sleeping bag. Folding it out, she proceeded to create a comfortable campsite before settling in for the night. As she slowly drifted to a realm of sweet dreams and fond memories, she was seemingly ignorant of the number of twitching and unconscious wild beasts that laid around her camp from the aftermath of their attempted ambush of the redhead.

(Scene Change - Fiore: Amefurashi Village)

"Gray-sama, lunch is ready!" Juvia called out in a loving tone as she skipped to the young man sitting on a frozen log, gratefully taking the basket of sandwiches that the bluenette had prepared for him.

"Thanks, I was starving." He replied in an equally grateful tone as he quickly devoured the tasty albeit a bit salty treats, Juvia beaming in happiness as she watched him eat.

"...You think everyone else is living as content as we are?" Gray asked the water Mage out of the blue, Juvia flinching a bit before a rather solemn smile appeared on her face.

"Juvia isn't sure, Gray-sama. Juvia hopes that everyone is living a happy and safe life, but Juvia can't be certain." Juvia answered in an honest manner, Gray simply nodding his head in a soft manner before he heaved a slightly heavy sigh.

"Well, where ever they are, no doubt they're all doing fine. Lucy's working for Sorcerer Magazine now, Wendy is happy and healthy with Lamia Scale and there's no need to worry about Erza." Gray stated as he finished the rest of the sandwiches that Juvia had prepared for him, the bluenette's eyes softening when she saw the fond nostalgia drifting in the eyes of the one she adored.

"Gray-sama..." She whispered in a soft tone, reaching out towards him in an attempt to comfort him only for the young man to suddenly stand.

"That's enough moping around, come'on Juvia." Gray announced as she jumped at his sudden suggestion, quickly standing beside him as they worked on their movements in tandem.

(Time Skip - An Hour Later)

"Ha... Well Juvia is going to shower first then, Gray-sama. D-Don't hesitate to j-join Juvia if you want." Juvia said with a crimson blush on her face, heading to their shared bathhouse as Gray remained seated at the table.

Her words never reached the Ice Mage as he was focused on the events of the past six months, his shoulders slackening as he recounted the way that his old rival fell at the hands of Acnologia. His fists tightening at the memory, the tears, anguish and anger that Natsu's final spell contained; he forcibly calmed himself as he knew that no one could stand up to the near omnipotent might that the Black Dragon held. Though, he let a mirthless chuckle escape his mouth when he recounted the promise to catch up to and surpass the pinkette that he made back when he visited their old guild.

"Can't surpass someone without a proper match to see who's stronger..." He whispered as he looked down, having hoped to see where he stood against the pinkette at the moment.

(Scene Change - Fiore: Margaret Town - Lamia Scale Guildhall)

"Congrats on another job well done, Wendy!" The energetic voice of Chelia called out as she gave her best friend and partner a hug, the timid but smiling Dragon Slayer returning it as they completed their report.

"Thanks Chelia, but it was mostly due to you and your Magic." Wendy quipped as she pushed more of the praise onto the God Slayer, Chelia giggling as she shook her head in a knowing fashion.

"Come'on, don't be so modest Wendy! You've really gotten a lot stronger since you and Carla joined, have a little bit more faith in yourself." Chelia said as she squeezed Wendy a bit tighter, the bluenette flushing a bit before she tried to pass the praise off once more.

"B-But it really was mostly because of you, if you hadn't stopped those monsters when they ambushed us it would have been a much harder job!" She added as her best friend sighed, the bluenette feeling a bit awkward before they both started giggling.

"I'm glad to see that Wendy is settling in nicely." Lyon said with a smile on his face, happy to see that the formally timid Mage was starting to edge out of her shell.

"Though, it would've been a much smoother transition if you hadn't scared her off by demanding information about Gray, Lyon." Yuka deadpanned as the Ice Mage gained a bit of pink on his cheeks, the terrified look on Wendy's face all too fresh after shaking her for any leverage on his rival.

"That... That was a mistake that I hope to never repeat." He said in a grave tone as he sulked a bit, getting pats on the back from Yuka and Toby as they snickered slightly at their usually serious friend's change in demeanor.

"Ah! Carla is still at home isn't she? Come'on, we need to get going!" Chelia suddenly said as she remembered the Exceed, Wendy's eyes lighting up as she remembered what her other best friend asked of her.

"She wanted fish for dinner tonight! Why don't we stop by the market on the way back?" Wendy suggested to her best friend and housemate, Chelia smiling and nodding as they quickly headed out of the guild.

As the two left, they left in their wake a few of the younger members of Lamia Scale blushing as they imagined the positions of either of the two swapped with themselves. About to slip into a bit of the more coarse settings of their imaginations, they were quickly broken from them when they all felt a sudden chill run down their spines. Turning stiffly, they saw that Lyon, Toby and Yuka were staring down at them with promise of punishment in their eyes should they choose to "defile" the two most innocent and cute members of their guild.

Nervously laughing, those who had their minor moment of imagination quickly sped to the request board before grabbing the nearest job and bolting, returning only to have it approved before speeding out once more. The trio nodding with triumphant smirks on their faces, they returned to the bar of their guild, chatting and laughing as they toasted to another successful "innocence protection" quest.

(Time Skip - Half an Hour Later)

(Scene Change - Margaret Town: Wendy and Chelia's Apartment)

After their quick shopping trip, buying supplies for the rest of the week, Wendy and Chelia headed back to their apartment complex before starting on an early dinner. Awaiting them was Carla who had learned Transformation Magic, adopting the form of a young lady around the same age as Wendy and Chelia. Quickly preparing a simple meal of steamed fish, tossed greens and some freshly squeezed juice; the trio enjoyed their dinner before deciding to call it a night.

Changing into her pajamas, Wendy let a content smile grace her features as she contemplated the past six months since the "incident" as Carla called it. It wasn't just the disbandment of Fairy Tail that caused Wendy to retreat a bit back into her shell, it was also the death of the person who gave her the courage and strength to take those first steps out of her shell.

Since Natsu's death at the hands of Acnologia, Wendy had lost almost all of her childlike innocence, even more so when she fought against Ezel during the war with Tartaros. At first it terrified Carla and everyone else who knew what she was like before that incident, seeing her so despondent and hollow. But eventually, due in part mostly to Carla and Chelia reminding her that they would always be there for her, Wendy regained a bit of her youthful energy and happiness; though it wasn't nearly at the levels it was before.

"Munya~ Goodnight Wendy, Carla! Let's give it our all again tomorrow, alright?" Chelia asked her housemates, getting smiles and nods from them as they bid her a goodnight as well.

"Goodnight Wendy, Chelia." Carla quipped as she let a yawn escape her mouth, having already returned to her Exceed form before curling up beside Wendy.

"Goodnight you two, sweet dreams." Wendy whispered as she saw the steady rising and falling of her closest friends' chests, smiling softly as she found herself at peace once more as she tried to sleep herself.

Though, that feeling of peace slowly gave way to a much more solemn feeling as she remembered that it was nearing the seventh month of the passing of the person who she held closest to her heart after her mother, Chelia and Carla. Her smiling thinning to a small line, she made sure that Carla and Chelia were both sound asleep before discretely making out of her bed and her way over to her dresser. Silently pulling out the top drawer, she moved her hand beneath it before pushing open a hidden compartment and removing her most cherished possession. Bringing the photo close to her, she let a bittersweet smile grace her features as she did her best to hold back the tears that wanted to spill from her eyes.

The photo was of his time visiting Fairy Tail after the events of the Grand Magic Games, having been taken by Jason of Sorcerer Magazine when they weren't paying attention. The man opting to give Wendy the only copy of the photo in secret as it was of a rather intimate scene between herself and the pinkette, something that she would forever be grateful to him for. Pictured was a steaming and swirly eyed Wendy while Natsu had a surprised look on his face. Wendy was on the tips of her toes while Natsu was leaning down a bit, though the reason for the Dragon Slayer's varied expressions was due to the fact that it wasn't the kiss on the cheek that Wendy had wanted to give him; instead, Natsu had turned when Makarov called out to him, leading to a quick kiss on the lips.

That one moment, the chaos that ensued afterwards, and the statement that Lisanna left for her and the other young ladies who held affections for the pinkette still fresh in her mind; Wendy couldn't help but want to drift back to that exact moment and relive it once more. But, after a few more seconds of fond nostalgia, she let a soft but shaky breath escape before she returned her treasure back to where it belonged. Returning to bed, Wendy never noticed the tears that thinly lined both Chelia and Carla's eyes.

(Scene Change - Fiore: Rune Knights' Headquarters)

"Gehihi, looks like we bagged another one!" Gajeel called out as he opened up the doors of his place of employment, getting a number of cheers and shouts at the number of criminal Mages that the Dragon Slayer had captured.

"Lock em' up! You know the drill!" He ordered as the other Knights moved to follow them, though there was on Knight who opted to just look blankly at him.

"Gajeel, you just don't know how to hold back, do you?" Levy asked the Dragon Slayer in a bland tone, Gajeel shooting her a rather toothy smirk as her cheeks darkened a bit.

"Just get back to work!" She shouted at him as he chuckled in a much lighter manner, shaking his head as he made his way towards her.

"You don't have to be so uptight all the time, you know." He quipped as she opted to huff a bit and turn away, immediately regretting her decision when her eyes fell onto a tattered and worn news article.

A bit curious as to why his jab didn't affect her like it usually would, Gajeel turned and promptly let a small frown grace his face as he saw just what it was that sucked the joy out of the bluenette. With Levy, her eyes softened considerably as she recalled the fond and warm memories of the pink haired man that was described in the tattered article, an article stating his astounding single handed victory against six dragons and the mastermind controlling them. Seeing such an expression grace her face caused a sour one to cross Gajeel's, grunting softly as he turned and turn away from the bluenette. Though it was the nostalgic and longing sigh that left Levy's mouth was what caused the Iron Dragon Slayer to openly show his jealousy, frowning much deeper as he turned and headed towards the main office to give his report.

"Hmm?" Levy sounded as she turned to see Gajeel heading towards the office of their commanding officer, smiling softly as she knew just what it was that was causing the mood of the Dragon Slayer to sour.

"I'm sorry, Gajeel. I didn't mean to make you jealous." She said in a teasing tone as a bit of pink dusted the cheeks of the young man, Gajeel gritting his teeth as she opted to giggle and move on ahead of him.

"Tch. Even after you're gone she still thinks this much of you, Salamander." He said in an irritated but respectful tone, turning to gaze at the blurred photo of the pink haired man in the article.

With the other mages of Fairy Tail, they were all scattered but nonetheless connected by the mark that was etched onto all of them. The Strauss Siblings happily living together, Lisanna and Mirajane working at a restaurant while Elfman was preparing for his own training journey. Cana, Laki and a few of the other female mages having remained in Magnolia Town due in part to the memories that the town had in their hearts. With the Thunder God Tribe and their leader, Laxus, they surprisingly joined with Blue Pegasus. Overall, there were many partings and reunions in the past six months since the disbandment of their guild, but they were all doing as well as they could in the given circumstances. Though, as fate would have it, not everyone was unaffected by what had transpired six months since the disbandment of Fairy Tail or of the battle that Acnologia had waged against Igneel and his son.

(Scene Change - Fiore: Cenere Mountain Range)

"Ryle!" A young mother screamed as she held her crying daughter close to her chest while watching her husband get pinned to the ground, her eyes wide and filled with tears as she trembled under the predatory gaze of the wyrm towering over her and her family.

"M-Mama, I'm s-scared..." Her daughter whimpered as she clutched onto her tightly, the young mother doing everything in her power to reassure the child of her safety.

"M-Margret, J-Julia... R-Run..." Ryle managed to say to his family, his eyes unfocused and tearful as he gave them the best smile that he could.

The eyes of Margret and Julia widening, the snapped them shut as the wyrm roared before raising its leg to finish Ryle off. But, to the shock of the family, the wyrm's roar was reduced to a horrific gurgle as it was sent reeling backwards. The wyrm no longer pinning him down, Ryle was greeted by the tearful but relieved faces of his wife and daughter as they rushed to rescue him.

The relief that they felt was replaced with fear once more when they remembered the reason they were in the position they were in. Snapping their heads to the side, they widened their eyes once more when they saw a person standing before the wyrm, seemingly unaffected by the fact that it had flames spewing from its mouth and nostrils. About to call out to the person who had saved them, the words of thanks and concern that were about to leave Ryle and Margret's mouths were silenced when they saw just what had saved them.

While appearing to look human, the thing that had saved them looked far from it. Having a broken demonic looking horn jutting from the left side of their head, it only amplified its demonic appearance by the tattered demonic wing that was attached to their left shoulder. Covering the left side of its body was a black, flame-like pattern, covering its demonic clawed left hand and foot, that ended near the centerline of the being's body. It was being countered by a crimson scale-like pattern that marred the right side of its body, covering its draconic clawed right hand and foot. A draconic horn extended from the right side of its head while being completed by the draconic wing that was jutting from its right shoulder. Though, the most startling feature of the being was the unruly crop of salmon colored hair that sat atop its head.

Fear replacing the gratitude that they felt, the family quickly turned and made their way back in the direction that they were heading before they were attacked by the wyrm, entirely ignorant of the fact that the being that saved them had turned to glance at them with curious eyes. Though, its attention was returned to the wyrm when it unleashed an immense torrent of flames, consuming the being and reducing the adjacent area to scorched and ground.

Triumph marring the face of the wyrm, it was about to lean forward to consume its kill only for a fist to connect with and shatter its premaxilla. Roaring with agony, it stumbled back only for another brutal blow to connect with and shatter its sternum. Flames spewing wildly from the wyrm, its chest beginning to decompress causing its breathing to become erratic, it flailed in a futile attempt to relieve itself of the agony beginning to fill it. Though, that agony was quickly and effectively silenced when a final and much more violent blow connected with its frontal bone, shattering it, the parietal and its post orbital bone, causing the flailing wyrm to go limp, the only signs it once moved being the sporadic spasms caused by its dying nervous system.

Watching with an impassive gaze as its spasms became less and less vigorous, the being finally advanced on the wyrm before driving its hand into its chest, the crunch of its already shattered sternum echoing chillingly as it began to rip open the cavity. After a few more moments of rending through hide, flesh and bone, it finally reached what it was after, the wyrm's heart. Amongst all of the materials that certain monsters could offer once slain, their hearts were among the most valued; the more powerful the beast, the more potent the magical and curative properties their hearts offered. A wyrm's heart being regarded as second only to the heart of a true dragon, the latent magical power locked within being said to increase a mage's power three-fold should their consume it while it's still beating. At least, that is what the legends of old say.

Either following those legends or just due to innate primal instinct, the being began eating the heart as if it were a piece of fruit, blood flowing from it like nectar would an apple or peach. Quickly enough it finished the heart and moved onto the rest of the wyrm, devouring the entirety of the slain beast like the countless others that it had devoured in the past few months since escaping the cave that it was trapped within.

Once it finished, releasing a rather content sigh at its now full stomach, it stood tall as an all too familiar wave of new energy flowed through its body as the magic within the wyrm's heart began merging with its own. As the newfound power settled, it turned and sniffed the air as it tried to find the only scent that made up its memory, the scent of rose petals, talcum powder and ash.

"Nagi... Sa..." It whispered in a longing manner, its heart falling when it failed to find a trace of the scent.

A sad sigh escaping its mouth at the lack of success it had over the past few months of searching, it furrowed its brow as it tried to recall more of the memories that swam chaotically in its mind. Grimacing when a name came to the forefront of its mind, the name that it associated with itself. A name that had slowly began to fade from the rest of the world as the disaster that befell the being began to fade in the throes of time.

"Natsu... Dragneel... Who was... I..." Natsu whispered in a pained tone as he clutched his head, his name still causing a wave of agony to himself as he failed to recall his past.

Grimacing as a familiar wave of pain echoed through his body; his opposing magical natures clashing once more as they fought over the magical power bestowed upon the pinkette from the wyrm's heart. Natsu's expression soon softened as he felt his right side, his draconian side, strengthen while his left side, his demonic side, begrudgingly forfeit the battle for the boost in strength. Shaking his head, Natsu refocused his efforts on locating his daughter, the memory of her smile driving him to find her to see it once again. Turning, he headed toward the west as he began to feel something dangerous nip at his instincts from the direction.

"Some... Thing... Is coming..." He whispered with narrowed eyes, moving onwards towards the west as the sense of foreboding he was feeling began to increase the closer he got to the Mare Ocean.

"Nagi...Sa..." Natsu whispered once more as his eyes became a bit glazed with longing and sorrow, the wings of the young man drooping a bit as his mood became a bit more somber.

(Scene Change - Crime Sorcière Guildhall: Main Entrance)

Gathered once more in the dining hall of their guild, the Mages of Crime Sorcière were discussing their plans concerning the rather daunting rumors of a possible invasion by an empire that had Mages of such caliber and strength that they made the Four Gods of Ishgar seem like novices in comparison. That idea of a possible invasion was only intensified when they learned of God Serena's defection to the Alvarez Empire, the Mages in the room grimacing as they weighed their odds of successfully repelling an invasion by the country.

In the midst of their discussion, they were all startled when they saw Nagisa sit upright in her crib, the pink haired girl turning to look out the windows of the guildhall facing the east. Their curiosity piqued, it only increased when they saw her shakily stand while using the railing of her crib as a crutch, her smile and brightness sobering considerably as she stared towards the setting sun. The women of the guild, Jellal and Erik growing concerned for the pink haired girl, they were about to head towards her and see what was causing such a change in the normally shining child only to freeze solid when they heard what left her mouth.

"Papa..." She whispered in a tone of absolute love and conviction, her eyes shining brighter then any of the stunned Mages in the room have seen since she was held by the one she was calling.

(Time Skip - Six Months Later)

(Scene Change - Crocus: Lucy's Apartment)

"Hmmm..." Lucy sounded as she slowly started to wake up, stretching as a relieved sigh escaped her mouth at the feeling of her knots and kinks fading.

Quickly getting ready for the day, Lucy made sure that she had everything that she needed for the day ahead, today of course being the fourth day of this year's Grand Magic Games. Grabbing her bag, she headed out of her apartment and back towards the arena where a number of fond memories of a certain pink haired Dragon Slayer laid, Lucy smiling a bit as she quickened her pace as the sound of battle reached her ears.

(Scene Change - Crocus: Domus Flau Arena)

"The fourth day of the Grand Magic Games begins now! Today too, heated battles continue to unfold!" Chapati announced as a cheer resounded from the audience, Yajima smiling as he enjoyed the youthful atmosphere that the arena held.

As Chapati and Yajima commentate on Chrisack's battle against Berrick, which the former easily wins. Lucy arrives during the battle and is greeted by her mentor, Jason. Pulling out her notepad, the blonde reported watched with lessening enthusiasm as the matches went on, finding something rather underhanded by one of the guilds completing. A bit saddened to see something like that happening, the blonde reporter opted to ignore it as it didn't really concern her all that much. Refocusing on the magic that the Mages were using, she jotted down the less noticeable details of the matches, knowing that they'd enhance her article.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

(Scene Change - Crocus: Domus Flau Outer Arena)

Finished with the matches for the day, Lucy met up with Jason as they exchanged notes and photos of the battles. Seeing that they had a rather fruitful array of images and information, the two decided to call it for the day. Exchanging goodbyes, they headed home and awaited the finals that tomorrow would bring.

(Time Skip - The Next Day)

"And that's it folks! Scarmiglione wins with a comeback victory!" Chapati announced as the crowd cheered for the guild, Lucy opting to release a sigh at their antics as she knew what the reason was behind their weak facade.

"That comeback was to raise the collection of their bets." Lucy quipped as Jason laughed beside her, the two finishing their report of the games as they left the roaring arena.

"Well that was quite the tournament right, Lucy!" Jason exclaimed in his usual energetic tone, Lucy smiling as she nodded her head slightly at his quip.

As they were about to part, Lucy paused when she saw a messenger pigeon flying towards her. Curious, she took the message attached to the foot of the pigeon as the bird chirped before flying back from whence it came. Unfolding the rolled up letter, Lucy read through it before her eyes widened with fear. Seeing such an expression on the normally exuberant blonde caused a bit of confusion and apprehension to fill Jason, the older blonde gulping when she saw Lucy's hand begin to shake slightly.

"Jason-senpai... I... I think I may have to take my vacation early..." She whispered as she re-read the message to ensure she memorized what her old redheaded guildmate had to say, Jason nodding stiffly as he pulled out his notebook.

"Don't worry, Lucy. I'll tell the others back at the office, if it's affecting you this much... Take as much time as you need." He said in an unusually serious tone, Lucy nodding as she rushed back to her apartment to prepare for the journey ahead.

"'_Lucy, I'm very sorry to have sent this message so suddenly. I'm afraid that I've got a situation that Gray and myself might not be able to handle on our own. If you receive this message, I ask that you convince Wendy to come along with you if only for the duration of this mission. Once you've secured her help, we are going to rendezvous in Amefurashi Village. Again, I'm very sorry to have inconvenienced you in such a way but I am in desperate need of assistance.' - Your friend and former guildmate, Erza Scarlet"_

(Time Skip - A Day Later)

(Scene Change - Margret Town: Lamia Scale Guildhall)

"Let's hear it ladies and gentlemen, the moment that you've all been waiting for! Give it up for Margret Town's beloved guild, Lamia Scale!" A well dressed man said as he introduced the guild of his town to those gathered around him, a roar of cheer and applause meeting the mages as they began the celebrations for Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Lamia Scale's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual event held by the guild in their host city, Margaret Town. The festival is held to promote and prioritize the harmony between the people of the city and the guild, being a way for everyone within the town and those visiting to get to know one another much more so then on a normal day. As she entered the city after a day of traveling to meet with her old guildmate and friend, Lucy was surprised to see that the young mage she remembered from a year ago had blossomed into a much more mature looking young teen.

"Wendy... You've grown so much..." Lucy said as she smiled softly, thankful that the young mage seemed to have come to terms with the tragedy of the past year and grew stronger from it.

Shaking her head to rid it of any depressing thoughts concerning a certain pink haired man, Lucy began to make her way towards the front of the crowd and to the guildhall. Though, a sudden shriek caused the celebrations to stall, the collective attention of those present turning and promptly panicking when they caught sight of a large number of rather aggressive looking mages standing on the outskirts of their town. A bit confused, a few of those present wondered if the group was part of the festivities, those thoughts flew out the window when a number of explosions rocked the Lamia Scale guildhall.

"Get these people to safety!" Lyon shouted with a bit of tension in his voice, moving to aid a fallen woman and her son as his fellow guildmates followed his orders.

Panic quickly spreading through the crowd of civilians, the Mages of Lamia Scale moved swiftly assist and direct those who needed it. Yuka was helping an elderly couple leave the scene while Toby was panicking as he tried to help by waving towards the safest route for everyone to follow. Watching with wide eyes, Lucy soon narrowed them as she moved to assist the Mages of Lamia Scale against their attackers. Seeing a beast approach Lyon from behind, she was in the midst of drawing the key of her strongest spirit only to pause when Lyon froze it solid. The silver haired man releasing a sigh as he lowered his hand, he was surprised to see the familiar face of the Celestial Spirit Mage.

"Lucy? What are you doing here!?" He asked in a surprised tone, turning to freeze another beast as the blonde moved to cover him.

"I came here because Erza asked me to see if Wendy could help us out with something, but I guess this counts as something else." She said as she turned and lashed at a beast that tried to take her back, the beast yelping as her whip lashed it across the face only to be frozen by Lyon.

"Well I can't thank you enough for helping us out, we'll discuss the topic of Wendy once we get through this!" He said as she smiled at the answer, the two readying their magic as another group of beasts charged at them.

As the battle continued on, the Mages of Lamia Scale seemed to be on the verge of breaking through the surprise attack, though those hopes were dashed when they soon received word from their Mages checking the outskirts of the town that the group of Mages attacking them was only a small fraction of a much larger force that numbered around at least one hundred thousand.

"Damn... Orochi Fin's really gotten bold." Lyon muttered in an angry and irritated tone, clenching his fists as he debate what to do in their current situation.

"Orochi Fin? You mean you know these guys attacking?" Lucy asked as she dodged a lunge from another beast, wrapping her whip around its neck before slamming it onto the ground in a rather brutal manner.

"Yeah, we've been rivals way back, our guild and theirs." Chelia suddenly said as she moved beside the blonde, blowing away a number of beasts as Wendy and Carla joined her.

"L-Lucy-san?" Wendy said in a stunned manner, having not seen the blonde in quite some time.

"We'll catch up later, Wendy. Right now, let's focus on getting these guys out of here." Lucy said as the younger Mage nodded, the group redoubling their efforts to drive the members of their rival guild out of their town.

Seeing that the remaining force of Orochi Fin was arriving from the west, the Mages of Lamia Scale fortified their defenses on that side, seeing that Orochi Fin had a Monster Tamer in their midst. While not the most powerful, Lamia Scale did pride itself on the strength and attitude of its Mages; the reason that the guild was struggling was because it was missing its most powerful Mage. Jura had left the guild as his duties as a Wizard Saint soon became much more prominent.

While the two guilds were battling, they all failed to notice the lone figure watching the battle unfold, their person hidden under a tattered and worn black cloak. Watching with curious eyes, they turned between the two clashing sides before focusing on the advancing army that was Orochi Fin. Curiosity filling them, the figure took a step towards them only to pause when they felt something much more ominous in the distance. Turning back and forth between the two directions, the figure kneeled slightly to touch the ground with their right hand as it slowly began to glow with a series of orange runes. The figure turning to head west, where the direction of the ominous presence laid, the runes that they left behind slowly began moving towards the oncoming army that was the Orochi Fin guild.

With Lucy and Lamia Scale, they were slowly but surely beginning to repel the army of Mages and beasts as more and more of the civilians of Margret Town were escorted out, allowing them to utilize much more potent magic. With Lucy, she was beginning to get a bit winded with the lack of extensive training she missed out on during the past year. About to pull out her new set of spells, she and the entirety of the guild froze before being forced to a kneeling position when an increase in gravity hit them. Lucy, Wendy and Carla freezing, they turned to look up and promptly wished that they hadn't when they caught the familiar sight of Bluenote Stinger.

"W-What...?" Lucy asked in a stunned tone, knowing that Gildarts had defeated the man back on Tenroujima.

"D-Didn't Gildarts-san defeat him back on Tenroujima?" Wendy added a slightly scared manner, knowing that it took the strongest member of her old guild to defeat the man before them.

"Hmm... Let me ask you all, can any of you fly?" He asked as he increased his magical pressure, forcing some onto their stomachs at the increased gravity.

"Tch... What the hell is this guy talking about?" Lyon muttered as he tried to stand, succeeding as he managed to kneel before the Mage.

"You..." Bluenote suddenly said as he glanced at Lucy and Wendy, instantly remembering them and the guild that brought him his most humiliating defeat.

"Guh..." Lucy and Wendy muttered as they realized that they were made his priority target, trying to break the gravity on them as he moved towards them.

But before he got too close, having taken a single step towards them, he froze. It wasn't just Bluenote but the entirety of those who were in the vicinity of the man. Having suddenly appeared beneath them without anyone noticing, even though many were laid face down on the ground, was an array of orange runes that were archaic looking even by the standards of **Lost Magic**. Confusion and fear filling those staring at the sight of the shimmering runes, they felt that fear skyrocket when orange flames began to wisp from them.

"Wha-" Bluenote started only for his words to get drowned by an immense roar of fire, the eruption of flames being accompanied by a blinding surge of light that forced the eyes of everyone watching to snap shut.

As quickly as the flames came they vanished, leaving behind the scorched collection of charred Orochi Fin members. Smoke leaving their mouths, they gained blank eyes before collapsing into an unconscious heap. Staring blankly at the scene of their rival guild having been taken out in a single moment, the Mages of Lamia Scale could only gape and gawk at what had transpired; many a bit frightful but relieved that they weren't burned themselves from being within the flames as well. But soon, their flabbergasted expressions broke into relieved and soon exuberant ones when the threat of Orochi Fin was dealt with. While another round of celebration was occurring, the Mages of Orochi Fin were being arrested, the Rune Knights having convened onto the scene when they were notified by a the townspeople. Though, there were a few people who weren't drawn into the celebrations, even when coaxed by the Mages and townspeople that they helped protect.

"N-No way... T-That's not p-possible, right...?" Lucy whispered in a frightened but hopeful manner, her body covered in a bit of a cold sweat as she tried to process what she had seen.

"I-It can't b-be... T-There's just no w-way..." Wendy added in an equally scared but hopeful manner, her memories having an eerily similar scenario of something like this occurring.

For the two former Fairy Tail Mages, the flames that they had just seen reminded them of a certain pink haired Dragon Slayer. Though, unlike the man that they had remembered them to belong to, these flames weren't as warm or as inviting as the flames that he possessed. The flames they had just witnessed burned with an intensity that seemed sorrowful in a manner, being dimmer and less earnest then the flames that Natsu utilized. Shaking their heads to rid them of such painful memories, they refocused their attention as to what was happening in the present.

Once the Mages of Orochi Fin were arrested, Lucy quickly made her way towards Wendy and showed her the letter that she received from Erza. A bit of panic filling the young Dragon Slayer, she was a bit torn as to what she was going to do until a gentle nudge from Chelia along with a somber but heartfelt string of words from her guildmates helped her decide. Stating that she would always be a Mage of Lamia Scale, that she would never forget their kindness for taking her in, Wendy expressed that she was still a member of Fairy Tail at heart. Tears lining the eyes of her newest family, she received a large number of hugs and goodbyes as she began crying at her parting. Soon enough, the two Mages were bound for Amefurashi Village, Wendy and Chelia sharing a tearful and heartfelt goodbye.

"...So, do you think it was wise to leave the issue of what happened before alone, Lyon?" Yuka asked the other young man as he lowered his hand, Lyon following suit as he turned to look at him.

"Those flames, after facing them firsthand all those years ago, I could never forget them nor of who they belong to." He said in a somber manner as Yuka smirked before letting his eyes close, letting a sigh of relief escape his mouth shortly after.

"I figured as much. I thought that the rumors of him dying were true, though I'm quite glad that they aren't. One thing that bothers me is that they seemed more... Solemn, then what I remembered them to be." Yuka whispered in a slightly somber tone, Lyon's eyes closing slightly as he shared the man's sentiments.

"Though they were solemn, they were still as righteous and mighty as they used to be. I only hope that whatever has happened to him in the past year hasn't dampened the flames that I remember dancing in his heart." Lyon finished as he turned towards the direction the runes from earlier creeped from, silently praying for their user's return.

(Scene Change - Amefurashi Village: Gray and Juvia's Cabin)

"Tch... I was careless..." Gray muttered in an irritated and self-deprecating tone, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists at the memory of his blunder.

"It couldn't be helped, Gray. It was either keeping your cover intact or watching an innocent family get killed, I would have done the same thing in a heartbeat." Erza said in an understanding tone, placing her hand on her friend's shoulder in an effort to calm him.

"Gray-sama, Juvia also agrees with Erza-san. You didn't do anything wrong." Juvia added as she held and slowly unclenched his hand, Gray's shoulders slacking as the tension slowly left his body.

About to say something, Gray paused when a knock was heard on the door of the cabin that Juvia and himself had lived in during the past year. Tensing a bit, the trio exchanged glances as they headed towards the door. Erza placing her hand on the handle of her sword, Juvia having a bit of water dancing around her hand, Gray moved a hand towards the door while the other gained a frost coating to it. Opening the door, the three prepared to ambush the opposing party only to freeze when they caught sight of the rather terrified looks on the faces of Wendy, Lucy and Carla. The tension and terror fading, it was quickly replaced with relief at the sight of familiar and welcome faces. Quickly moving aside to allow the three in, the group of former guildmates greeted one another as they caught each other up on their present situations.

(Time Skip - An Hour Later)

"So, you were undercover in Avatar working with Erza behind the scenes?" Lucy asked as she tried to clarify the information her friends gave to her, Gray, Juvia and Erza nodding as the brows on the new arrivals furrowed in response.

"What's making them so dangerous, Gray-san? Juvia-san? Erza-san?" Wendy added as she tried to find a reason behind the threat level of the guild, knowing that the three before her were more then capable of taking down most guilds on their own.

"I don't believe that it's a matter of if we could defeat them, but a matter of how to defeat them. The location of their guild is right beside a town, any provocation on our part would have sparked a conflict not between just us but with the town as well. But, given our situation, that is no doubt already going to happen." Erza explained in a pained manner, the grimace on her face matched by her friends as they realized the extent of their situation.

"...We can't just let that happen." Wendy said in a soft but resolved manner after a few seconds of tense silence, gaining the attention of everyone in the room as they turned to face her.

"Just because we don't know what they're capable of, has that ever stopped any of us from acting before?" She continued as she asked her friends a rather simple question, all of them flinching a bit at how resolved her eyes were.

"Even when the odds were stacked against us, when we were faced with an impossible situation, we've always managed to pull through. All of us." She added as the Dragon Slayer balled up her fists, her eyes gaining a fierceness to them at caused her friends to flinch once again.

"I don't know about all of you, but I'm more then willing to risk a frontal confrontation with Avatar. All of us have been working so hard, keeping the memories of Fairy Tail in our hearts and doing our best to move onwards from when we disbanded. I don't want to feel what I felt on that day ever again, nor do I want anyone else to feel what it's like to lose their family. I say that we meet Avatar head on and stop them before they have a chance to do anything that might endanger the lives of those villagers." Wendy said as she fixed her posture, standing tall as she faced her friends with resolution emanating from her person.

A bit stunned to see how much the young mage they knew from a year back had grown, the former Fairy Tail mages gawked at her for a bit before their faces gained a bit of an amused expression. Closing their eyes, they let smiles grace their faces at the declaration that Wendy had given to them. Opening their eyes, they also shined with the same resolution that was reflected in the young Dragon Slayer's eyes. Nodding their heads, they quickly moved out of the cabin and towards the location of the city that slowly seemed more bleak then it should have been.

(Scene Change - Malba City: Main Gate)

Chaos, the only word that would be apt enough to describe the situation that Malba City found itself in as it and its inhabitants found themselves in the center of a surprise invasion by the Mages of Avatar. Many were captured as they tried to escape their homes, others hiding in them as they hoped that they wouldn't be affected by what was to come by the dark guild; though they knew in the depths of their hearts that they wouldn't be so lucky that such an outcome would occur. The cause of this chaos was because of the "ring" that surrounded their village made up of the members of the dark guild, the Mages eagerly awaiting the "Purification" of Operation Purify that their guild was about to perform on the tainted people they had captured.

"Now, let the time of purification commence. Gather round, o'faithful followers of Zeref. Today we implement Operation Purification. In this town of thirty thousand; sinless souls move about, unknowing of their ultimate fate. These unsullied souls shall surely lead him onto this land. Zeref, the Black Wizard! So that we may walk alongside him, we offer up these thirty thousand souls. All souls in this city, be purified! Now, advance!" Arlock spoke as he raised the morale and the mournful mood of the situation, his fellow followers of the Black Wizard roaring with renewed vigor as they charged towards the city.

But as they closest of their forces neared the front entrance of the city, a large scale explosion rocked the adjacent area, sending those within its radius rocketing backwards. A large cloud of dust and debris obscuring the view of what caused such the seemingly random explosion, when it began to settle the eyes of the Dark Mages widened when they saw an all too familiar and much hated face in the epicenter of the blast's crater.

"Gray..." The Mages of Avatar muttered in a scornful and disgusted tone, their eyes narrowed in an equally hateful manner as they eyed the man who ruined their first attempt at Operation Purification.

"Tsk. And I thought I wouldn't have to see all of your ugly mugs so soon." Gray quipped in a disgusted tone as he glared the his faux guildmates, getting them to bristle in anger at his offhand comment.

"So, they're the top Mages of Avatar right Gray?" Lucy asked her friend while readying her whip, Gray nodding his head as he removed his jacket and settled into his signature stance.

"They're not to be taken lightly, but don't worry too much about being beaten by them. They're a lot tougher then they look." Gray added in a rather snide manner, smirking when the restraints on them finally broke as they charged him and his friends.

"Here they come, ready up for battle!" Erza ordered as she requiped into her **Wingblade Armor**, leading the assault as her swords began dancing alongside her.

"**Open the Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!**" Lucy shouted as she drew Taurus' key, opening his gate before placing the key to her chest and equipping her **Star Dress: Taurus Form**.

"Let's go Taurus!" Lucy shouted as she snapped her whip along the ground, a heavy tremor following the snake-like shockwave that her attack caused.

"Let's not fall behind, Juvia. **Ice Make: Geyser**." Gray said in a cool manner, snapping his fingers as a large scale eruption of ice consumed a wide number of Avatar's Mages.

"Juvia smells another love rival..." Juvia muttered in a frigid tone, immediately snapping her head to face Briar as the tanned woman took a step back due to the rather unsettling expression on the bluenette's face.

Before Briar or anyone else for that matter could speak, those within the vicinity of the tanned woman were sent barreling away when Juvia struck them with her **Tidal Crash**; submerging and scattering a large number of the already displaced Avatar Mages. Seeing that their forces on the front entrance of Malba City were already falling to ruins, Arlock turned towards Jerome as the other man nodded his head in understanding. Pulling out a communication lacrima, began ordering the forces that laid near the rear entrance of the city to hasten their advance.

"Tsk! They have forces coming from the rear gate as well! Wendy, Carla! Do you think you can make it in time?!" Gray shouted in a worried manner at the Dragon Slayer and Exceed, their expressions having a grimace pass before steeling their expressions.

"I don't think it's wise to let the two of them go alone, Gray. As strong as they've become, they're still young." Erza commented as she moved to engage Jerome, the man panicking slightly before drawing his sword to counter Erza's.

"Don't worry about the two of us! As long as they've got their strongest Mages here, the ones coming from the rear won't be a threat as long as we're careful." Wendy said in a strong and sure tone, adding to her statement as she sent the Avatar mages around Carla and herself barreling away with a wave of her arms.

A small smile lighting the faces of Erza, Juvia, Lucy and Gray; the older Mages smiled a bit brighter as they nodded at her. About to shout once more for Carla and herself to remain safe, they have their words taken by Wendy when they felt an immense wave of wind sail past them, sending D-6 and Goumon crashing into their reinforcements before settling into an unconscious heap. A bit stunned, they only grew more so when they felt an increase in their magical and physical selves. Blinking a bit, they widened their eyes briefly before smirking when they saw a light green glow emanating from their persons.

"**Ile Arms x Ile Armor x Ile Vernier**." Wendy said with a smile on her face as she lowered her arms, Carla smiling as well as she **Transformed** back to her Exceed form before grabbing Wendy and speeding towards the rear entrance of the city.

"She's really grown up, hasn't she." Gray quipped in a sober tone, a bit taken back by how much the formerly bright albeit shy young Mage had changed in a year's time.

"Mhmm, I feel a bit at fault for not being there for her." Erza added in an equally somber tone, her nonchalant attitude towards Jerome causing the man to charge at her once more with his cursed blade.

"Don't you ignore me! Have you forgotten that my Dark Sword corrodes and rots any and all things that it slashes!?" He shouted at the red haired young lady, smirking as he slashed and eroded another floating blade of Erza's **Wingblade Armor**.

"...You should know, my swords don't need to land on you to deliver a decisive blow." Erza muttered in a frigid tone, her eyes narrowed and sharp as she glared at the man who interrupted her trip down memory lane.

"Wha-" Jerome started in a confused manner, trailing off abruptly as he was sent careening back by an unknown number of slashes that were sent his way courtesy of the irate redhead glaring at him.

"Let's wrap this up then, the faster we can get this settled the faster we can move on!" Lucy said as she clenched her fists, Erza, Juvia and Gray smirking as they leveled their gazes on the remaining member of Avatar's top Mages.

About to move, Lucy grimaced as she felt like something was tearing into her stomach. Gritting her teeth in a mix of pain and indignation, she saw that the same thing was happening to Taurus as the Celestial Spirit was rather open about what he was experiencing. Turning her head, Lucy saw a rather victorious smirk on Mary's face as the young mage leered at her. Closing her eyes, Lucy focused all of her attention on the one who she supposed was causing the embarrassing discomfort in her person; she snapped them wide open as she sped towards the now stunned Mage.

"L-Lucky for you I have better control over myself then o-others." Lucy stammered with a bit of pink on her cheeks, cocking her arm back before slugging Mary square in the abdomen.

The Dark Mage's eyes budging from their sockets, spittle flew from Mary's mouth as she was sent backwards. With the user of the **Virus Magic** down, Taurus and Lucy regained their composure as they looked awkwardly away from one another before continuing their assault against Avatar. With Erza, she was quickly reducing the numbers of the Dark Mages as she danced and weaved through their ranks. Tilting slightly backwards to avoid an arc of lightning, she glared at the battalion that attempted to strike her, causing them to take a step back before they were sent scattering with slashes rending their bodies from her blades.

"That nearly takes care of them from our side." Erza said in a level manner as she gazed at the lone form of Arlock, the man seemingly unaffected by the chaos that was ensuing around him.

"Hmm... Perhaps it is time..." He muttered in a quiet tone, his words causing much more tension to fill the bodies of the former Fairy Tail Mages as they saw his form begin to fade in and out of focus.

"Shit! Erza, Lucy, Juvia! He's just a **Thought Projection**!" Gray shouted at his comrades in a panicked manner, the rest of their group paling as they guessed the only other location his physical body could be.

"Wendy!" Lucy shouted as she turned to sprint towards the opposite side of the town, growing more anxious and agitated when more of Avatar's lower ranked Mages blocked her path.

"It appears that high priest Arlock was correct in his assumption. A couple of sinful fools would no doubt attempt to disturb our purification, and in turn focus their attention on the main force when the key to this operation lies with high priest Arlock and the others on the opposite side of this ignorant town." They quipped in a rather vindictive and snide manner, instantly drawing the ire and rage of their opponents as they turned to focus on them.

"Take em' out." Gray muttered in a frigid and hateful tone, the dark pattern that signaled the use of his **Ice Devil Slayer Magic** appearing across the right side of his body.

"With pleasure." Erza added in an equally arctic tone, requipping into her **Morning Star Armor** as she directed her swords towards the Dark Mages making light of their situation.

"**Photon Slicer**." She said in a low and dangerous tone, lightning beginning to arc between her swords before condensing into a sphere that let loose a large discharge of energy at the Dark Mages.

Unable to act due to either panic, terror or a mixture of emotions in-between, the Dark Mages took the full brunt of the blast as a hole quickly tore through their ranks. The disarray from earlier becoming much greater due to the chaos created by the anger of the former Fairy Tail Mages, it was quickly taken advantage of by Gray and Juvia, the two moving beside each other before raising their arms in unison.

"**Unison Raid: Silver Thaw**!" They shouted in tandem as Juvia unleashed a heavy mist that quickly surged towards and soaked the Mages before Gray and herself, Gray immediately flash-freezing the mist and in-turn the soaked Mages.

"Quick guys, we need to get to Wendy and Carla now!" Lucy shouted as she led the charge to the opposite side of the city, whipping the ground once more as she sent another division of Avatar's Mages recoiling back.

Having cleared away a large majority of Avatar's lower ranked Mages, the former Fairy Tail Mages entered the gates of the town before Gray erected a wide wall of ice to prevent any of the lingering Dark Mages from following behind them. Gritting their teeth, they sprinted towards the opposite side of the town, Erza taking the lead when she requiped her **Flight Armor**. Surging towards the opposite entrance, Erza could only hope she arrived before something serious happened to the young duo they allowed to head off on their own.

"Wendy, Carla, please be safe." She whispered as she increased her speed further, a trail of wind following her as she kicked up dust and debris on her path towards the south gate.

(Scene Change - Malba City: Rear Gate)

"**Sky Dragon's Crosswind**!" Wendy shouted as she crossed her arms while slashing in an X-shaped manner, sending two blades of intersecting wind towards the Avatar Mages attempting to enter from the rear of Malba City.

The two blades creating the crosswind that was their namesake, it send the Mages flying back as a bit of dust and debris covered the grounds. Taking a deep breath to calm and steady herself after using one of her more draining spells, Wendy returned her focus to the Mages who were strangely not as anxious or as nervous the Sky Maiden had expected them to be, seemingly unaffected by the slow but steady decline of their numbers. A bit perplexed, Wendy shelved her questions in favor of staving off the attempted "purification" of Malba City. Sending another powerful gale to break a regiment flanking her on the right, Wendy re-enchanted herself with **Arms x Armor x Vernier**, panting a bit as she opted to use the diluted versions of her previous enchantments to conserve her Magic.

"Wendy... It's very odd, isn't it? Why aren't they attempting to overwhelm us with their numbers? It seems like they're waiting for something..." Carla quipped in a slightly anxious manner as she eyed those who were near the edge of Wendy's depth of view, taking note that they seemed to be circling the entrance of the rear gate.

"If they're waiting for something, I have a bad feeling about what it is..." Wendy whispered in a slightly anxious tone, panting a bit more when she felt her enchantments began to weaken.

Taking a breath, Wendy was about to re-enchant herself only to pause when she heard a set of footsteps calmly making its way towards her. Focusing on the direction of the sound, she tensed when she saw the man who she assumed was the leader of the group began towards her, the confidence and calm he exuded causing the young Mage and Exceed to raise their already high guard. As he stopped a few feet away from the duo, they faced off as a tense silence overtook the area.

Growing even more nervous, Wendy and Carla finally moved when Arlock raised his staff and fired a volley of Magic orbs at the two. Re-enchanting her **Vernier**, Wendy grabbed Carla and sped out of the way of his projectiles, though her relief was short lived when she slammed into a barrier that was suddenly erected by the priest. Panicking slightly, Wendy backpedaled as Arlock unleashed another volley of Magic projectiles towards Carla and herself, finding herself bumping into another barrier made by the priest.

"I'm afraid that your time has come to an end, young Mage." He said in a calm tone, Wendy narrowing her eyes as she watched him raise his staff towards the two of them.

As he fired off another set of projectiles towards the duo, Wendy's appearance changed to what it was when she first entered **Dragon Force** a year before. Her hair turning pink along with her eyes, the young Dragon Slayer gained feather-like protrusions along her shoulder blades and around her wrists and ankles. Turning to face a surprised Arlock, she momentarily released Carla and swung her arm towards the priest.

"**Sky Dragon's Hurricane Edge**!" She shouted as a dense and large torrent of wind ripped through the area, scattering Arlock's projectiles and sending the man and his subordinates flying backwards.

Dust and debris obscuring the area, Wendy fell from her powered state as she started panting much harder then before. The combination of enchanting her friends with her advanced spells along with repeatedly re-enchanting herself was already pushing the young Dragon Slayer past her usual limits, adding the use of **Dragon Force** along with one of her more taxing spells sent Wendy's stamina over the edge. Trying to recover as much energy as she could with the cover that her spell provided, Carla moved to protect the young Dragon Slayer as she tried to catch her second wind. Though, Carla and Wendy froze when they heard dark laughter emanate from within the dust cloud, stiffly craning their heads to face its source.

"A valiant effort, Sky Maiden. But a futile one, nonetheless. Now! Ye war god of the contract, Pay forth the compensation for my sacrifice! Wield thy power for our cause!" Arlock shouted towards the heaven as he laid on his back, his partially broken mask revealing a horribly scarred and burnt visage.

"Ikusa-Tsunagi, come forth!" Arlock commanded as he flashed a maniacal grin, cackling as he saw the dark clouds begin to form above signaling that his request had been answered.

The eyes of Wendy and Carla widening, they stared towards the heavens as a mass gathering of dark clouds began to overtake the sky, the young Dragon Slayer swallowing the lump in her throat as she felt the air begin to shift and change around Carla and herself. The anxiety of the two was broken though, when they heard the sound of footsteps quickly growing louder from behind them. Stiffening they were about to act only to pause and soon relax when they saw the concerned face of Erza. Letting the tired breath that had built up inside of her chest out, Wendy gave the redhead an equally tired and relieved smile as did Carla while Erza embraced the two in an instant.

"I'm so glad that you're both alright, I'm sorry. I should've known better then to have placed such a task upon the two of you." Erza said in a soft and apologetic tone, the eyes of the two widening before closing slightly as they hugged her back.

"D-Don't worry, Erza-san. I'm just a bit tired, but other then that I can still help." Wendy said in a much more relaxed tone, Erza and Carla smiling a bit wider at the young Mage's determination.

"Don't you worry, Wendy. We'll handle things from here." Erza said in a reassuring manner as she moved in front of the young Dragon Slayer, Wendy about to comment on what she said only to see Gray, Lucy and Juvia moving beside her.

"Erza's right, Wendy. Let us take care of the rest of these chumps." Gray said as he caught his breath, letting a sigh out as he relaxed into his signature stance.

The sight of the four newcomers drew a bit of commotion from the Avatar Mages who lacked the faith that the more devout of their comrades did, those who knew of what was to come however, only cheered as they were about to witness the fall of some of the most powerful of Mages in the current era. As that sentiment passed their minds, Ikusa-Tsunagi was finally beginning to make its appearance, startling everyone but Arlock as its foot descended from the darkened skies. The sight causing a bit of panic to fill those who weren't ready, the former Fairy Tail Mages tensed as they were slightly apprehensive about what was to come.

"Damn, looks like we'll be in for a long one." Gray muttered as he removed his coat, letting his "limiter" fall as more of his Magic began to surge forth.

"D-Do you think we'll be able to take down something that huge?" Lucy asked in a slightly anxious tone, fiddling with her gloves while still in her **Star Dress: Taurus Form**.

"Juvia hasn't been training with Gray-sama for the past year for nothing, Juvia believes that we can do this!" Juvia told the blonde in a firm and reassuring tone, her Magic raising to match with Gray's as she stared at the slowly descending being before them.

"No need to fret, Lucy. With all of us here, there isn't a thing that we can't defeat." Erza announced in a reassuring tone as she requiped into her **Heart Kreuz Armor**, glancing up with an impassive expression as she contemplated what ways to take down the summoned God.

Though, they were broken from their thoughts and forced to relocate when Ikusa-Tsunagi raised the sword that rested in its hand, the God bringing it down as a heavy shockwave rocked the grounds in its path. As dust and debris obscured the view of the Fairy Tail Mages, they soon regained their vision and stood a bit stunned when they saw the scar in the earth that the God created. Tensing, they were about to act when they saw something that stole the air from their lungs.

Standing on the opposite side of the was a cloaked figure, seemingly passive about the God of War towering above it. The same was true for Arlock and the rest of Avatar's Dark Mages, those who finally took notice of the figure quickly creating some distance as it suddenly appeared from out of nowhere. At their departure, the figure looked between the parties gathered before resting their gaze upon the God of War leering down at it.

Seemingly done with the being examining it, Ikusa-Tsunagi raised its blade once more before bringing it down upon the cloaked figure. Like before, when the blade of the God impacted it created another shockwave that caused the earth to quiver, another cloud of dust and debris obscuring the vision of all who gazed in the direction of the strike. Though, that same cloud of dust and debris was erased when an immense amount of magical pressure emanated from the cloaked figure, raising the tension to levels that caused even the former Mages of Fairy to grow anxious.

"W-What? The hell is with that magical pressure?" Gray asked in a slightly nervous tone, sweat beginning to run down the side of his head as he readied his **Devil Slayer Magic** in the event they made a confrontational move.

"T-There's no way that person can be human, could they? T-They only thing I've felt being even close to them were the Dragons from that day." Lucy added in a frightened and pained manner, swallowing the lump in her throat as she shifted to her **Star Dress: Leo Form**.

"Carla, s-stay close to me. We don't know who or what that person is going to d-do." Wendy told her beloved companion in a comforting albeit scared manner, Carla stowing her own terror as she moved protectively beside the young Dragon Slayer.

"Ready yourselves, everyone. They're about to make their move." Erza voiced with a calm demeanor, contrasting with the tension that held her heart from the feeling of the magical pressure the two beings began to exert on the area.

Then, faster then one could blink, the cloaked figure moved. Seemingly having moved from the place that they stood to the flank of Ikusa-Tsunagi instantaneously, those who were watching stood baffled as it appeared to be an illusion or trick of some sort. Those thoughts instantly vanished and were replaced with terror, confusion and, for some, resignation, when they witnessed Ikusa-Tsunagi being consumed with flames that could only be described as originating from the underworld itself.

Roaring with agony that transcended the notion of the concept, Ikusa-Tsunagi flailed about as black and crimson flames seared and consumed its form. In the midst of its thrashing the God trampled on those who had summoned him, including a flabbergasted and bewildered Arlock, the death of the priest instantly sending the remained of the Avatar Mages into disarray as they tried to flee from the scene as quickly as possible. Though, their efforts were rewarded with nothing but distress as the cloaked figure simply turned to face then, the mere action of glancing in their direction causing them to bowl over before falling from the intensity of both their gaze and magical pressure.

Soon enough, the struggles of the God began to slow before stilling, the God standing motionless as everyone in the vicinity looked on with rapt attention. Then, the form of Ikusa-Tsunagi cracked, crumbling and scattering to the wind as the physical body it was granted exceeded its threshold of accumulating damage. With the single-handed and effortless defeat of their trump card, the Mages of Avatar could only fall into a stunned silence. The silence that permeated the area was soon shattered when a loud voice suddenly broke through.

"Gehihi! Catch em' all! Don't let a single one of em' go!" Gajeel ordered as he flashed a vicious grin, his subordinates quickly moving to apprehend the indolent bodies that were the Avatar Mages.

"Gajeel, how many times have I told you not to issue orders before confirming the situation?" Levy shouted at the man in an irritated manner, growing even more vexed when he simply turned to grin even wider at her displeasure.

"Levy is right, Gajeel. Issuing orders without thought could cost someone their life." Pantherlily added as an afterthought, causing his partner's grin to fall slightly.

Their attention was diverted, however, when they caught sight of their old friends and guildmates from Fairy Tail. The eyes of Levy widening, she broke out with a bright smile despite the precarious situation at hand. Quickly ushering Gajeel and Pantherlily towards the group of their old friends, the bluenette embraced a stunned Lucy before the blonde returned the gesture.

"Lu-chan! I've missed you!" Levy told the blonde with tears of happiness lacing her eyes, Lucy's own tears beginning to form as she flashed a beautiful smile.

"Hold on just a second! I'm placing all you guys under arrest!" Gajeel shouted as he stormed up to the group, drawing confused looks as they would've never suspected the rowdy young man they knew to have joined with the Rune Knights.

"What?" Was the collective response from his old friends, all of them giving him blank stares as his vicious grin quickly grew.

"You! All this time and not one 'good job!' or 'congratulations!' letter or note from any of you!" Gajeel stated with heat as the blank stares of his friends simply grew in intensity, Levy and Pantherlily smiling and laughing as they watched the scene unfold before them.

"Ahaha! Sorry, everyone! Gajeel was feeling really lonely and sad when he was promoted but didn't get a letter of congratulations from anyone from Fairy Tail." Pantherlily explained as he wiped a stray tear away from his eye.

"Heh, well hasn't someone become a bit more sensitive since we last met." Gray quipped in a slightly haughty tone, drawing the Dragon Slayer's attention as he turned to glare at him.

When their gazes met, everyone aside from Erza tensed for a rather heated encounter as the status of Gray was officially listed as a Mage of Avatar. Though, that tension vanished when the two lost their tense expressions and settled on good natured smirks before exchanging a handshake with each other.

"Yeah, I've softened up. I'll admit that much. Glad that you ain't really with these sleazebags, Gray." Gajeel said in a slightly relieved tone, Gray also releasing a sigh of relief when he heard the words that the man said to him.

"Thanks, Gajeel. I'm relieved myself, I never had to do anything that'd make me wanna turn myself in." Gray added as they shook their hands, breaking with matching smirks as the man turned his attention to Wendy.

"Gehi, looks like you've become strong, Sky Dragon." Gajeel said with pride evident in his tone when he scanned Wendy top to bottom, the younger Dragon Slayer's cheeks flushing with embarrassment and happiness.

"T-Thank you, Gajeel-san. I... I didn't want to be a burden to anyone anymore. I hope that you' will rely on me as much as I will rely on you." Wendy told the man as she bowed in respect, Gajeel laughing as he restated that she had indeed grown into a fine Dragon Slayer.

"Wait." Erza suddenly said in urgency as she froze mid-sentence when reuniting with the trio, causing everyone to tense and stare at her when they heard her tone.

Requipping her iconic blade, she turned to face the direction that the cloaked figure who defeated Ikusa-Tsunagi stood, only to see nothing as the others followed her gaze. A bit confused they were about to speak when Erza narrowed her eyes and began walking towards the ashen remnants of the God, her friends following behind from a safe distance as they grew a bit fearful of her current mood. Reaching the place that they once stood, the redhead's eyes reflected a sense of self-loathing and mortification, Erza clenching her sword a bit tighter as the realization of what had just happened struck her.

"...We were careless, absolutely careless." She muttered in a shamed and anxious tone, following the trail of footprints that suddenly vanished after a few feet from their origins.

"W-What are you talking about, Erza?" Lucy asked in a timid manner, peeking out from behind Wendy as the younger Mage stood shaking as she was being used as a possible shield from the redhead in front of her.

"That cloaked figure, the one who defeated that God. We completely forgot about them due to the chaos that the Rune Knights caused when they arrived." She stated as the blood in the veins of her companions who were fighting against Avatar prior to the knight's arrival froze, sweat instantly running down their faces when they realized that fact.

"L-Lu-chan? W-What's the matter?" Levy asked her close friend in a concerned and slightly frightened manner, Gajeel and Lily also looking on with concern evident on their faces when they caught sight of the expressions on the faces of their friends.

"Before all of you arrived, Avatar had summoned a God in order to carry out their objective. That God was an opponent who would have proven to be tricky to combat, though it was reduced to nothing singlehandedly by a cloaked individual. The magical pressure that they emanated, it was just... Monstrous." Erza explained to the trio in an uneasy manner, causing them to grow a bit concerned as even the usually unflappable Erza was sweating from the memory of the encounter.

"And no signs of where they went, huh?" Gajeel asked as he swallowed the lump that formed in his throat at the tale, a bit relieved that they didn't have to face off against someone who could take on a God with such upsetting ease.

"While it would be in the best interest of Fiore to pursue that individual, I feel that it will be a fruitless effort without a significant number of hands to aid us." Erza said as she mulled over the possible outcomes of the situation, finally deciding to drop the issue as they had indeed saved a number of innocent lives without making any dubious actions towards her and her friends.

Deciding to let the issue of the suspicious individual drop for the moment, Levy invited her friends to return with Gajeel, Lily and herself to celebrate a rather fruitful victory. It wasn't needed as they quickly charged to celebrate the successful repulsion of what could have been a needless shedding of innocent blood. After getting a number of suggestions from the residents of Malba City, the group eventually settled on a quaint but lively inn that specialized in catering to many Mages of various backgrounds.

(Scene Change - Malba City: Albina's Burrow)

"Then, I've got something that I want to say to everyone, if you all would hear me out." Lucy inquired after a few moments of silence, drawing the attention of everyone as they turned to look at her.

"I... After having such a wonderful time with everyone, it brought up some old memories that I'm glad to have had the chance to relieve. I might sound insane, but please just hear me out. I... I want to see everyone together again, I want to see Fairy Tail rise once more." Lucy said with determination as she locked onto the surprisingly mirthful gazes of her companions, the sight of amusement dancing in their eyes causing her to falter a bit as she assumed that they thought of her desire as childish.

"Gehi, don't look so down, Lucy. You might think we're makin' fun of ya, but it's the opposite." Gajeel said in an equally mirthful tone as the blonde's head snapped up, her eyes wide with disbelief at what she had just heard from the young man.

"Gajeel is right, Lu-chan. You weren't the only one who was keeping tabs on everyone, just why do you think we joined the Rune Knights? Now come'on! We've gotta get going!" Levy announced as she jumped up with renewed vigor, the others sans Lucy following suit as the blonde could only stare dumbfounded at what she was hearing.

As they began to pack their belongings, they paused when they heard a small sniffle emanate from the blonde, the eyes of everyone softening as they moved to comfort her. After a few seconds of reassuring her that they were indeed returning back, Lucy raising her head to meet the gazes of the others with a slovenly but brilliant smile on her face. Moving quickly, the group secured their belongings before making a beeline towards the town that they all once, and still do, call home.

As the trio began their departure towards Magnolia, they were unaware of the same cloaked figure observing them quietly from a distance away. The wind picking up, it partially blew back the hood of the figure's cloak, revealing an unruly mop of salmon colored hair. The face of Natsu was a mixture of distant recognition and somberness, the small smile that marred his face showed that the memories of the group growing smaller and smaller were still etched into the heart of the young man. Turning, he faced the direction that his guild still laid, growing much more somber as he remembered the bundle of sunshine that was securely held within its walls, the smile of his daughter bringing him a much more grave expression as he was still unable to witness it.

"Just wait... A little bit... Longer, Nagisa... I'm almost... Done with his... Request..." Natsu whispered to himself in a broken and slightly troubled manner, grimacing as he brought his hand up to gently massage a horrifically large scar that spanned the length of his neck.

Turning to face the direction the former and soon to be Fairy Tail Mages once more, Natsu fixed his hood before sedately moving to shadow them. The premonition of danger that he felt from the west having grown stronger over the past six months beginning to make the hairs on his body stand on end with the tension it caused him, Natsu narrowed his eyes as he contemplated the next possible set of actions that he was going to be taking. The single desire to see the smile of his daughter and embrace her being the only choice that he was unable to accept at the moment, he settled on sating the curiosity of his instincts, knowing that a battle would no doubt be the result of said sating.

(Time Skip - A Few Days Later)

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: Town Square)

As Lucy, Wendy, Carla, Gray, Juvia, and Gajeel return to the town that they had called home all those years ago, their eyes grew somber and full of nostalgia as they observed that many things had indeed remained unchanged in the past year. Erza had separated from them along the way for reasons she didn't want to share, not that any of them had the nerve to ask either way. With the redhead gone, they reminisced without her, idly chatting about the memories that they associated with various areas of the town. Their trip down memory lane was shortened when Lucy began to grow a bit anxious as they approached the road that led towards their former guildhall, drawing concerned glances from her friends. Though, they had expected this despite the brave and heartfelt words that she spoke a few days prior, knowing that the blonde was indeed a tender soul at heart.

"What's wrong, Lucy-san?" Wendy asked her in a concerned and soft tone, causing a small quiver to run through Lucy's body.

"I... I don't I'm able to take another step forward... I might have been a bit too forceful when I suggested bringing back the guild. What if... What if no one else feels the way that I do? That I'm asking for something awfully selfish after getting too carried away from the mood." She said in a doubting and self-loathing manner, drawing a few soft looks from her female companions.

"I mean, it's been a full year, hasn't it? I've lost touch with nearly everyone from the guild, I sent some letters to Lisanna, Bisca, Evergreen and a few others who I knew the addresses of, but to suddenly say that I want to revive Fairy Tail? Won't that disturb everyone who've already moved on? I'm just assuming that everyone wants to do the same, to bring back the guild. What if it's just a memory for them? What if-" Lucy started as a few tears began to mar her eyes at her own words, though the blonde's words were cut short when she heard the voice of someone who she hadn't seen in the past year.

"Lucy! How are you!" Happy cheerfully called out as he suddenly popped over her shoulder, causing the blonde to yelp in terror and leap into the air and into the embrace of a slightly sober brunette.

"Heh! As if we'd forget in just a year!" Cana said with a pink tint to her cheeks, wrapping her arms around Lucy as she gave the blonde a tight hug.

"Don't think we've just been sitting on our asses, doing nothin' this past year, Lucy. I was trying to track down Gildarts and low and behold, I got a little letter here. This guild has practically been my life since I could walk, and when Master announced the whole dissolution, I realized something. I have pretty much no clue how to function outside of the guild, if anything this whole thing has been a much needed life lesson for me. So don't be doubting yourself, you hear? I can't say anything for the others, but I will anyway, we needed someone to take this step for us, all of us. Lucy, that person was you." Cana told the blonde as she released her from her embrace, showing Lucy a very rare but very honest smile as she gently grabbed her arm.

"Now come'on! Everyone's waiting!" She said as she pulled the blonde down the road, Lucy's body seemingly acting on its own as she followed Cana towards the ruins of their former guildhall.

As she arrived to the area that made up the gateway to her former guild, Lucy's eyes widened when she saw the smiling and grinning faces of her former guildmates, all shouting with joy when they caught sight of her. Before she could speak or utter anything in response, they quieted her when they raised the letters that she had sent to them nearly two weeks ago.

"Ohhh! You guys are a sight for sore eyes!"

"Lucy! Your hair has grown longer! It looks good on you!"

"Lucy, I got your letter right here!"

"Word on the street is that you guys shut down a Dark Guild on the way here, haha!"

"W-What? E-Everyone...!" Lucy whispered in a tone of disbelief, taking in the many stories and events that her friends had partaken in, in the past year.

Everyone welcoming her and greeting her with tales of their exploits, failures and happenings from the past year, Lucy began to tear up as a small quiver danced through her once more. Catching the sight of the Strauss family, she let a few tears fall when Lisanna smiled and waved at her before moving to give her a fond embrace. The shaking of her body only increased when she caught sight of the eldest Strauss, the same person who first welcomed her to the guild all those years ago.

"Welcome home, Lucy." Mirajane said in a gentle and warm manner, the gates that held back Lucy's tears finally failing as she openly wept into the shoulder of Lisanna.

"Uwaaaa~! I-I'm b-back!" She tearfully cried out as Mira moved closer to her, switching with Lisanna as she embraced the younger mage.

"Look here, everyone. Never forget this moment, because at this is the moment that we bring back out guild. Why you ask? Because, we are Fairy Tail!" Erza announced with unbreakable resolve and determination, tearing the battered but proudly waving flag of their guild from the ruins of their guildhall.

(Time Skip - Five Days Later)

(Scene Change - Fairy Tail Guildhall Construction Grounds)

Five days after the formal restoration of the Fairy Tail Guild, the members begin construction of their new building in the crater where their old building once stood. Leaderless, several ideas to locate the Sixth Master are proposed; however, Levy states that they require an immediate Guild Master to complete the legal procedures for the Guild's revival.

In the midst of their construction and nominations for the next Master, a typical brawl erupts between the guild members as Gray and Elfman finally decide to square off to show the fruits of their training over the past year. Elfman flying through a newly installed pillar, he gets up only to wipe away the tears and slight snot that are running down his face at the wonderful and warm feeling of exchanging fists with his friends. The brawl beginning to heat up in intensity, it is easily and frighteningly broken up by an irate Erza. Levy instantly notes down Erza as the Seventh Guild Master, much to the latter's surprise and slight distress, and the approval of a member nobody seems to remember: Mest.

"We can save the fact you all forgot about me later, we've got a bigger situation to worry about at hand. You guys, you're the only ones who can save Master Makarov." Mest said in a serious tone as he stepped towards his guildmates, the reaction of them all being confused and shocked unanimous.

Revealing that their former Master is in a dire situation, he leads Erza to the concealed **Lumen Histoire**, forbidding anybody else from following. Though, they are followed by Lucy, Wendy, Carla, Happy, Gray and Juvia, who promptly trail them and end up blowing their cover upon witnessing their Guild's greatest secret. Overlooking their disobedience, Mest then shares his memories about his undercover mission in the Magic Council. His main objective was to gain intelligence about the Western Continent, home of the Alvarez Empire, which attempted to invade Ishgar in X781 to obtain **Lumen Histoire**, but were dissuaded by the threat of Etherion and Face. However, the aftermath of Fairy Tail's war against Tartaros left Ishgar with no defense against another invasion, prompting Makarov to disband Fairy Tail to protect the members, then depart to the Alvarez Empire in order to negotiate with their authorities and stall them as long as possible.

In order to extract Makarov from Alvarez without impeding the Guild's revival, Erza decides that only the ones present in the chamber will participate in the mission. Mest also describes the reformed Magic Council to be under pressure from the potential war threat from the West, just like their predecessors.

"With all of this goin' on, with Master buying us time, we're gonna go and save Master right?" Gray asked though it was more of a statement then anything, getting sounds of agreement from those around him.

"Yes. I've Revived the Magic Council, just as Master wished. From this point onwards, I'm back to being a full time Fairy Tail Mage." Mest quipped as he gained a few more agreeable looks from the others at his statement.

"If everyone works together, there's no one that we can't take on!" Happy quipped in a determined and resolved manner, pumping his paw upwards in show of his confidence.

"Let's all go together!" Carla added as she followed Happy's example, the two exceeds confidence adding to the atmosphere.

"Wait. This enemy is someone our Master himself surmised as 'unbeatable.' We can't just simply rush in blindly, without a plans or means of accomplishing what we desire." Erza stated in a serious tone as she shut down the mood of the room, drawing a few incredulous looks from her friends.

"O-Oi, we've gotten a lot stronger over the past year, Erza. I don't wanna sound cocky, bur I think, with all of us working together, we can take these guys on." Gray said as he did his best to appear unaffected by the redhead's stare, succeeding slightly as he only shivered in fear.

"The time Master risked life and limb to buy us time, his feelings towards us, do you intend to make light of them? We will rebuild out guild. We will resume taking on jobs, and helping those who ask for it. We will completely revive Fairy Tail. I want the members who have gathered here again today to laugh and smile like they once did, like we all did. That is what I, as the Seventh Master, wishes for." She stated in a tone that dared anyone to raise any objections, the others in the room shivering a bit at how serious and sharp her eyes were.

"E-Erza-san..." Wendy whispered in a troubled manner, not wanting to oppose her wishes but also wanting to save the man who invited her to a new family.

"But... My wishes as a simple guild member are different. We absolutely must rescue our Master! That is why we will go about this with just those members who are present here. A smaller band is better suited for this task. We'll infiltrate Alvarez, save Master, then get the hell out of there. And remember, this is an infiltration and rescue mission. We will not get ourselves into useless fights or cause unneeded ruckus. Now, let's make this mission a success." Erza announced as the others in the room smirked and gained determined looks from her impassioned speech.

The supposedly secret dialogue is overheard by Gajeel thanks to his sharp aural senses. He begins to plan the reformation of the B Team from the Grand Magic Games, apparently knowing where to find Laxus, grinning a bit when he reminded himself of the fact that Juvia was indeed a member of the B Team and not the A Team.

(Scene Change - Fiore: Magic Council Headquarters)

While her friends were busily working on the construction of their new guildhall, Levy officially finalizes the rebirth of Fairy Tail. While there, she also witnesses three of the four Gods of Ishgar, Warrod, Wolfheim and Hyberion, as they discuss the threat posed by the Alvarez Empire and the defection of Ishgar's top Mage, God Serena, who is now a member of the personal guard of Emperor Spriggan: the Spriggan 12.

(Time Skip - A Day Later)

(Scene Change - Cetus: En Route to Alakitasia - Caracole Island)

Erza's team sets sail for Alakitasia on the ship, Cetus, deciding to resupply at Caracole Island and also get information from Mest's spy who is present there. Meanwhile, as Gajeel's squad travels to find Laxus and his Thunder God Tribe, Gajeel having taken Juvia away from the A Team as they were preparing for their departure, has Levy explain that their unit would provide support to the main team to improve the chances for a successful extraction.

Back at the ship, the rescue party approaches Caracole, only to notice the Alvarez Navy in control of the island. When Wendy informs the others that their enemy's purpose is to roust out the spy, the team members disguise themselves as members of Cait Shelter to pass through the port authorities' inspection. As they begin their exploration of the island, the group pauses when an unsightly scene plays out before their eyes.

"Bring back my dad! Where'd you take him! Daddy!" A young child tearfully demands from one of the guards, instantly earning their ire as they prepare to strike him down for irritating them.

"Tsk." Gray mutters as frost begins to haze off of his hands, Erza instantly placing her hand on his shoulder to remind him to calm himself.

Though, that same statement becomes hypocritical once they see the guard bring down the sword he was holding towards the child. Faster then anyone else could see, Gray, Lucy, Wendy and Erza charged down the group of guards surrounding the child. Gray, and Erza slugging the guards, the other two were sent eating the ground when Lucy and Wendy delivered a rather brutal kick to their heads from behind. While their human friends were taking care of the guards, Happy and Carla took the duty of shielding the child from further harm.

As the battle carries on, Wendy asks Carla and Happy to escort the child to their father using their sense of smell, which Carla had been training in the instance she lost sight of Wendy. As they leave, Erza asks Mest to search for his informant while they secure the area of any more threats, the young man nodding as he teleports towards their usual meeting area. The skirmish quickly ends in favor of the Fairy Tail Mages, having beat down guards with little to no trouble as even Wendy showed zero sign of being exhausted or even winded. Finished with the skirmish, they then discuss their future course of actions over a serving of Star Mango Gelato. Suddenly, the stall they are patronizing is destroyed by a person who introduces himself as Marin Hollow, a member of the Brandish Squad.

"To ruin such a wonderful place. Take a good look at the face of mango gelato vengeance." Erza snarls at the man such a hateful expression, her anger doing nothing to the man standing before her and her comrades.

"You pass! With flying colors no less! Seems you can't fail my eyes!" Marin exclaims with a grin, ignorant of the fact he was being sent gazes filled with utter contempt.

Preparing to engage the man, Erza and Lucy find themselves unable to use their Magic and, are soon informed that all forms of Magic that involve dimensional manipulation are nullified by Marin's **Spatial Magic**. After nullifying their Magic, he then informs them that those who have been defeated by his "edicts of space" are to be sent to his own personal dimension, the state stunning the two Mages as they began to disappear from the area. Soon enough, they vanish completely, leaving behind a stunned Gray and Wendy.

"Those two passed, so they belong to me now. As for you two... You failed! Douchebags!" He shouted with disgust and contempt, shocking Gray and Wendy with his abrupt change in demeanor.

The Alvarez Mage then brings forth an utterly beaten Mest and engages Gray and Wendy in combat, easily outmaneuvering the two thanks to his expert combination of martial skills and teleportation. But his little game soon ends with the arrival of his superior, Shield of Spriggan Brandish μ. Her magical pressure soon causes the two Mages before her to tremble, finding that it was even greater then that of the cloaked figure who defeated Ikusa-Tsunagi. Swallowing the lump in their throats, they were about to pull out their trump cards when they paused, a bit wary of Brandish's action of walking past them and towards the ruined Star Mango stand.

Disappointed to see the Star Mango Gelato store wrecked, declares that she will return, believing the spy to be insignificant as Ishgar is too cowardly to act against Alakitasia. She commands Marin to free the women he has captured, intimidating the man into obedience by raising the entire island onto a pillar of rock. Despite this favorable turn of events, Wendy stalls her departure when she demands an explanation for the injuries that Mest sustained due to Marin, so Brandish seemingly disintegrates Marin as a form of compensation.

She reveals that she is aware of their true identities and reassures them that Makarov is alive. She then returns to her fleet after shrinking the island to a mere pebble as warning to stay away from her Empire. A fishing fleet soon arrives to rescue the stranded population of the former Caracole Island. After getting his wounds treated, Mest teleports everybody to an underwater temple in order to meet the spy, Sorano, who discloses information about Makarov's whereabouts as the sailing temple Olympia sets course for Alakitasia.

(Scene Change - Alvarez Empire, Alakitasia: Vistarion Palace Garden)

In the capital city of the Alvarez Empire, Vistarion, Makarov and Yajeel discuss Fairy Tail's revival and the exemplary hospitality extended towards Makarov, contrary to the rumors regarding the Empire's operation. Just as Yajeel mentions that dialogue with the emperor is rare due to his love of travel, crowds in the street begin to celebrate the return of their beloved sovereign. The two old men head out to witness the spectacle, but Makarov is shocked to see that the emperor is none other than Zeref himself.

(Scene Change - Alvarez Empire, Alakitasia: Vistarion Palace)

"Welcome back, your majesty." Invel politely said as he greeted the emperor of his country, the man nodding as he smiled at him.

"I'm back, Invel." Zeref curtly said with a calm tone, motioning for the man to follow him as they headed towards the council room.

On the way there, he orders for the Spriggan 12 to gather, though he's only met by four of them, including Invel, Dimaria Yesta, Ajeel Ramal, and August, as well as Yajeel who directs him to Makarov, informing him of his need to meet him.

"He absolutely insists that he have an audience with you immediately, so... I thought that I would allow him the chance to at least briefly glimpse thee." Yajeel said as he gestured towards the smaller man, Makarov standing quietly behind as he awaited Zeref's answer.

"It's fine, Invel. Allow us the chance to speak, alone." Zeref said when he noticed Invel begin to speak on his behalf, motioning for Makarov to follow him towards the balcony of the hallway they were standing him.

As the two make it to the balcony, they began their talk, with Zeref revealing that he is indeed the Emperor of Alvarez when questioned by Makarov, having created the country and kingdom a long time ago so he may have the forces he needs to fight Acnologia and capture the **Lumen Histoire** or as the two know it, **Fairy Heart**. Zeref also reveals that he will start the real Dragon Festival: A war between the humans, Acnologia and himself to see who survives.

"Tch! As if I would let that happen!" Makarov shouted with anger towards the youthful man, his attempt to charge towards him halted when Zeref send him back with a pulse of his Magic.

"Hm. I must admit, I am slightly thankful for what you've done... Thank you, for what you did for Natsu. I'll put you out of your misery soon, and don't worry. I'll be sure to deliver your body to your so called 'children.' I can only imagine what expressions they will carry, the thought of it does make me slightly excited I'll admit." Zeref whispered in an aloof manner, his tone only causing the man he was crushing to grow more agitated.

"You filthy... Little demon...!" Makarov managed to muttered under the pressure being exerted on his body, Zeref smirking slightly at his choice of words.

"Close, very close. Spriggan is the name of a filthy little fairy." He quipped with an aloof and haughty smile on his face, closing his hand as Makarov's face contorted into an even more anguished expression.

Though, before Zeref can deliver the final blow, Mest suddenly warps in, grabbing Makarov before teleporting away back to the forest where his comrades were waiting. As Mest recovers, he informs the group he saw Zeref, much to the shock of the others standing around him.

"Z-Zeref? What the hell is he doing there?" Gray asked no one in particular, his brows furrowing in confusion as he tried to digest what he had heard from the other man.

"I...I myself was not aware, initially, that the man known as Emperor Spriggan was in fact none other then Zeref, himself. The fact that you're all here, can I assume that you all know what the situation at hand is?" He asked the group of younger Mages gathered around him, getting nods from everyone at his question.

"I was so naive... Those bastards never had any intentions of participating in any form of negotiations. To think that I sullied the reputation of my guild to come west... In the end, it was all for naught. I've never been this disappointed." Makarov lamented as tears began to fall from his eyes, drawing the attention of the Mages gathered around him as the opted to counter his choice of words.

"What are you talking about, Master? It definitely wasn't meaningless. This past year, it's given all of us the chance to grow." Gray stated as he shone a smile towards the man, moving to place his hand on his shoulder.

"We've managed to gather everyone, managed to rebuild the guild, managed to reconnect the bonds that you unbound." Lucy said as she expressed a radiant smile on her face, drawing smiles from everyone else at her words.

"Lucy-san and Gray-san are right, Master. Everyone has grown up during year, none of us believe that what you did was wrong or worthless." Wendy added in a mature tone, drawing the attention of the man as he began to shake when he heard just how much more mature she had become.

"I believe that the things you do for the sake of others are never meaningless. It's something that you've taught me, taught all of us." Erza finished as she moved in front of the kneeling man, gently extending her hand towards him as he looked up at her.

"Come, Master. Let us all return back home, to Fairy Tail." Erza said in a soft and reassuring manner, a smile on her face as Makarov stood stunned at the expressions that were resting on the young Mages surrounding him.

In the midst of their speeches, the group is interrupted by Ajeel whose power over sand allowed him to track the group. As Mest is low on Magic, he can only make one more teleport, and is saving it for reaching the shore to jump to Sorano's vehicle, Makarov orders everyone to run. They do so, with Erza driving a Magical Vehicle and Gray and Lucy trying to slow Ajeel down with their new Magic. It seems to work until Ajeel creates a sinkhole under the vehicle, intending to bury them in sand, all the while gloating of his superior power. However, much to Ajeel and Makarov's shock, the group manages to bust out of the sinkhole with much more ease then he had expected.

"Oh? So who was it that blew away the sand?" He asked himself as he scanned the faces of the Mages standing below, locking onto a glowing Wendy as he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Really!? Her?! Swe-" Ajeel started only for Wendy of all people to send him barreling backwards with a **Dragon Force** and **Ile Arms** enhanced blow to the face, cutting off his sentence and stunning the others in her group with how fiery the action was.

"You talk far too much, if I could give you a piece of advice." Wendy told the man in a frigid tone, her voice, **Dragon Force** and enchanted tone adding to the image that the young Mage from a year ago had grown considerably.

"Haha! Looks like the little girl has more spunk then I gave her credit for! It's been a while since I took a punch like that! And it feels great! Bring it, maggots!" Ajeel shouted with glee as he ramped up his Magical Pressure, a large cloud of sand emanating from around him as the Fairy Tail Mages moved to counter it.

Makarov manages to save Team Natsu while proclaiming he won't let Ajeel hurt them. But the Spriggan Guard responds by sending a gigantic sand tidal wave at them that'll disintegrate everything. Just as it's about to hit, lighting suddenly vaporizes the wave. The group see that it's Blue Pegasus's airship with Laxus standing on it along with the rest of Gajeel's group aboard it. Seeing this, Mest teleports their group into it. When Ajeel tries to attack, Laxus sends a major lighting attack down to stop him, allowing the group to get away.

As the bolt of lightning makes contact with the earth, a large dome of lightning engulfs the area, making the eyes of everyone who witnessed the display of power widen their eyes in a mix of shock and disbelief. Though, on the ground, as it clears it shows that Ajeel sustained no damage from the brutal attack. A bit stunned, he was about to pursue the Mages but paused when he saw August approach. Confused, Ajeel grew a bit excited when he heard from the elderly Mage that the reason he was still standing was because of a barrier that August had erected.

Back on the airship, the A Team of Fairy Tail meets up with the B Team. As everyone greets and checks over each other, Makarov remains seated as he watches his Mages interact like they did in the past, like the past year was but a passing day. When they notice his gaze, they turn as flash smiles at him, causing the man to begin to tear up. When he meets the gaze of his grandson, Makarov finally lets the tears fall as the larger man offers a sincere and warm smile towards him.

"You alright, Jiji? You've got a lot more wrinkles then I remember on your forehead." Laxus asked in a playful and warm manner, Makarov flashing a wide grin as he laughed slightly.

"I'm glad to see you as well, Laxus. Truly, Fairy Tail is the best family." Makarov stated as he gave his best smile for the Mages standing before him, the group caught up in their own atmosphere as they headed back towards Magnolia.

"Except I'm not actually in the family." Ichiya said to himself as he flashed his signature pose, his sparkles accompanying him as he stood shining and alone.

(Time Skip - A Day Later)

(Scene Change - Fairy Tail Guildhall)

All parties return safely back to Magnolia, the Fairies immediately beginning to celebrates the return of Makarov. As the festivities carry on, Erza quickly relinquishes her position as guild master to Makarov, now making him the eighth master. After a bit of partying, Makarov gets everyone's attention and apologizes to them for his actions in disbanding the guild.

"Everyone, allow me to speak." Makarov began as he tapped his staff on the ground of his guildhall, the action drawing the attention of everyone in the guild as they turned to face him.

"I won't make any excuses The one who destroyed the place that you all called home, was me. For that, I am truly sorry." Makarov stated in a solemn tone as he bowed his head in regret, his action drawing mirthful reactions from the younger Mages gathered before him.

"There's no need, Master. We heard about everything from Mest."

"You made that decision to protect us, why would we be angry for that?"

"No hard feelings, Master.

"That's right! And come'on! We're all together again, aren't we?"

"So don't make that gloomy face! It'll ruin the taste of the food and drinks!"

"Is that so...? Hmm, what's more, my plan, the reason for going itself, amounted to nothing. Alvarez will be coming, in full force no doubt. A grand empire. It will be dropping its full force upon this very guild." Makarov said in a grave manner as he had a grimace grace his visage, his words drawing a few concerned faces from those who had seeds of doubt planted in their hearts.

"Hmph. What's the problem? We've all given a lot to reconcile and reunite. Fighting tooth and nail, overcoming the impossible, the reason we've all managed to get this far is because we've all got something to protect." Laxus said in a confident but gentle tone as he addressed those who seemed uneasy, his speech bringing a bit of hope to their faces.

"Laxus-san is right. Our desire to protect what we cherish and what's important to us, it has become our strength more times then I can remember. It's made all of us stronger, each and every time." Wendy added as she drew a few surprised looks from those who remembered how meek the young Mage was a year ago.

"I don't believe that it's because we're not scared, I think that everyone is scared. I'm even sure that, that fear is so large that we won't know what to do or how we're going to face it. But that's why we have each other, to share and shoulder those fears so no one has to feel afraid, alone." The young Mage continued as her eyes began to shine with a strength that no one had seen before in her eyes, her words bringing proud smiles to those who have worked with and watched her grow.

"But, even more then the fear of fighting or of dying, I think that what we fear the most is losing these days of smiles that we just got back. So that we can continue to laugh and smile, we don't have a choice but to fight back. But not just fight back, we have to win as well." Wendy finished as she clenched her fists, her speech causing the guild to quiet as they took what she said to them to heart.

"Winning isn't what we're aiming for. We're fighting for the smiles of everyone, for the laughs that we'll all be sharing with not just the guild, but for everyone in Fiore!" Lucy shouted as she took the stage, her eyes burning with a familiar flame that many had forgotten in the past year.

"We've all made our peace with the upcoming war, Master." Erza said to the man in a gentle tone, an equally gentle smile on her face as her guildmates reflected that behind her.

"Erza is right, Master. We're not backing down, no matter what happens. We're gonna take on Alvarez and we're gonna crush them." Gray added with a smirk as Makarov had his head held down in though, though his eyes changed drastically from how they were a few seconds earlier.

"As have I. I will make those that stand against my family rue the day that they were born! We'll take every single one of them down!" Makarov shouted as he raised his staff and emanated a warm light from it, a roar of agreement resounding as they heard his decree.

With the hearts of everyone connected and set to confront the upcoming war, Makarov then begins to tell them about **Lumen Histoire**, but Mavis steps in and offers to do it herself, beginning to detail her past with Zeref and what lead to the current situation.

(Time Skip - A Day Later)

(Scene Change - Magnolia Town: East Forest)

"They're here..." Natsu whispered as he glanced towards the skies from the log he was sitting on, sensing the Magic of the many airships that were cruising overheard while in a cloaked state.

Seeing that the time to fulfill the promise he had made nearly half a year ago had come, Natsu stood up from his seated position as he moved towards the direction of the most Magical Pressure, sensing many hundreds of thousands of people emanating Magic in a subdued state. Taking a breath to ready himself for the battle, he relaxed and tightened his focus and senses before heading towards the east. On the way, he slowed his pace when he saw a very familiar house, belonging to a benefactor of his old guild. Seeing that it wasn't damaged, he was a bit assured that the army heading in this direction hadn't sent scouts to reconnoiter the area.

As he resumed his previous pace, he was ignorant of the woman glaring at him from within the house. When his visage was consumed by the flora of the forest once more, Porlyusica heaved an irritated sigh as he watched him leave her property. A bit anxious at first, mostly due to the obscene Magical Pressure that he exuded, she was more annoyed by the fact that she knew that Magical Presence from anywhere. Her irritated eyes sobering, she let a sigh escape when she felt the distinct change in the nature of his Magic, being much fouler and animalistic then it was before.

"Makarov and his Mages will no doubt be horrified when they meet him once again." She muttered in a solemn and pitying tone, glancing in the direction that Natsu had left in once more before returning to her preparations for the upcoming battle.

(Scene Change: Magnolia Town - Lucy's Room)

Lucy reminisces about Fairy Heart, the reason why Alvarez wants to invade Ishgar, as well as her duty to protect it, since it's the body of their First Master, the person responsible for the foundation of Fairy Tail, the guild she met all the Mages she befriended so far. Though, a bit of hesitation begins to creep into her heart at the thought of battling against an empire that even Fiore's strongest Mage had defected to. But before she can fall into a much more anxious state, she slaps her cheeks lightly before moving to ensure that all the townsfolk have evacuated in safety.

"This time, I'll protect everyone. I have to." Lucy whispered to herself in a determined manner, the flames of her resolve stemming from the smile of a certain someone in her past who she failed to do the very thing she swore.

(Scene Change: Magnolia Town - Fairy Hills Dormitory Bathhouse)

In the Fairy Hills dorm, Erza and Wendy reminisce about the memory of having invited the younger Mage to the guild, a fond and rather chaotic memory when they recalled the brawl that broke out almost immediately afterwards. On a tangent note, Erza also tells the younger Mage that they will also have the backing of Crime Sorcière, Jellal and Ultear having contacted her a day prior about the arrangements.

"Is that true, Erza-san? Crime Sorcière will be working together with us?" Wendy asked in a tone that held hope, the redhead offering a beautiful smile in response as she nodded her head.

"Jellal and Ultear gave their word that they will be aiding us in the upcoming war. Crime Sorcière's ultimate goal is to defeat Zeref, after all. Though they said it is because Zeref is leading the opposing side, I feel that it's also because they are targeting us, Natsu no doubt having asked them to always look out for us." She responded in a somber tone as she fell back into fond memories of the man, Wendy also gaining a similar expression as she recalled the salmon haired man.

Seeing the other lost in memories of the man that they both held strong affections for, they grew crimson faced before turning away in embarrassment and a small amount of awkwardness. Slowly turning to face they other, they scoffed a bit before laughing together. As they recovered their composure, Erza falls into a slightly solemn mood as she resolves herself to protect everyone in the guild at any and all costs. Though, to her surprise, she is broken from her thoughts when she feels a pair of arms wrap around her waist, hugging her securely and protectively.

"Erza-san. This time, I will be the one to protect you." Wendy promises as she hugs the older Mage a bit tighter, Erza's eyes widening a bit before closing softly in appreciation and pride.

"Thank you, Wendy. You've truly become a wonderful Mage, Wendy. You are no doubt the pride of our guild." Erza told the younger Mage in a proud and happy tone, turning to return the embrace of the younger Mage as they settled into a comfortable and amiable atmosphere.

(Scene Change: Magnolia Town Square)

In the upper division of the town square, Gray thanks Juvia for being by his side, promising her that he will give his answer once the battle is over, focusing himself on taking down both E.N.D. and Zeref.

"For now, let me focus, Juvia. When this is all over, I'll give you an answer, I promise you that." Gray told the bluenette standing beside him, Juvia losing her embarrassed expression and settling onto a somber one.

"Okay, Gray-sama..." She whispered in a slightly solemn but happy tone, Gray failing to notice it as he readied himself for the battle at hand.

"Zeref... E.N.D... Just you bastards wait..." He muttered in a slightly heated tone, clenching his fists as he settled his gaze on the horizon.

(Scene Change: Magnolia - Fairy Tail Guildhall)

Back in Fairy Tail, Warren has established his radar facility that is supposed to detect enemy forces advancing around Magnolia. Mavis proposes that the forces should split in two directions: a diversion force stationed in the north, while the main force waits in the south. However, Alvarez fleet consisting of 50 ships assaulted the Guild's position from the air, using cloaking devices that inhibited Warren's radar, revealing themselves once they came in close proximity. Ajeel, the Shield that commanded the operation proclaimed that Fairy Tail will be reduced to nothing more, but dust.

As the sound and vibrations caused by the impact of the Magic cannons reach the guild, Mavis quickly has the bell rung to alert the others of the situation. Ajeel commences his attack only for the ships cannon fire to be blocked by a shield Freed puts up, though he struggles to retain the barrier even with Bickslow lending his own Magic Power to help. As Ajeel keeps up the assault, Mavis sends out the Dragon Slayers and their Exceeds to take care of as many ships as they can.

(Scene Change: Magnolia - Airspace)

"Oi, Sky Dragon! Don't be afraid to retreat if you feel scared!" Gajeel shouted towards the younger Mage in a concerned tone, though all he received for his concern was a small smile from the Sky Dragon Slayer.

"Don't worry, Gajeel-san. If you feel scared, I'll protect you as you retreat." She said in a slightly teasing manner as Gajeel flinched in response, though immediately after he started laughing loudly as he saw her expression.

"You've really grown up, haven't you Sky Dragon. Gehi! Can't let myself be outshined, now can I! **Iron Dragon's Roar**!" Gajeel shouted with vigor as he sent his roar towards the center of the fleet, causing those that it connected with to heel to their ports and starboards from the damage they sustained.

"**Sky Dragon's Rotating Hurricane Edge**!" Wendy shouted as she swung her arms across her body in a circular manner, sending a heavy torrent of heavy rotating winds towards the ships causing them damage and veering them off course.

"Let's do this, Gajeel-san! **Sky Dragon's Roar**!" Wendy called out to the older man, Gajeel grinning in a vicious manner as he took a lungful of air.

"**Iron Dragon's Roar**!" Gajeel roared as he fired his roar in line with Wendy's, the two roars intertwining with each other as they impacted the center of the fleet once more.

"Tch. Their suppression fire is getting more intense by the minute." Lily muttered as he dodged a heavy torrent of fire from one of the ships heading towards them, flying straight into it as Gajeel hacked its side open with his **Iron Dragon's Sword**.

"Where is Bisca and the **Jupiter Cannon**?" Carla said in a slightly panicked tone as she evaded a much more intense spray of fire from the ship she aided Wendy in attacking, pulling the Sky Dragon Slayer high into the air to avoid being shredded by the incoming fire.

Meanwhile, Mavis has Alzack and Bisca ready a **Jupiter Cannon** in the hopes of taking down the main ship. Since the cannon takes 15 minutes to charge, they know they can't afford to miss. Though, the concept of missing is something that Bisca has an unfamiliar relationship with, the green haired woman finishing the adjustments to the cannon as she leveled it towards the ship Ajeel resided on.

(Scene Change: Magnolia - East Forest: Bisca's Location)

"Osprey Squad reporting! Magical payload ready!" Bisca communicated towards Warren, getting the okay from the man as she fixed her aim.

"Mama, go get em'!" Asuka cheered from beside her mother, getting a smile from her before she was ushered away by her father.

"Magic focusing canon, Jupiter, fire!" She shouted as she unleashed the first initial shot of the **Jupiter Cannon**, a heavy quake rocking the area as it travel towards the fleet.

(Scene Change: Magnolia - Airspace: Ajeel's Ship)

As it is about to connect with the ship, Ajeel just deflects the shot, scattering it. The shot does take out a few more ships, but it doesn't fails to secure its intended target of taking down his ship.

"Ha! Not good enough!" Ajeel jeered as he lowered the hand he used to deflect the shot, though he is surprised when he sees Gajeel and Wendy land on his ship.

"Hoo? So you're gonna take me on, then eh?" He asked the two in a jovial tone, taking interest when he catches the fire in their eyes.

"Urgh." The two Dragon Slayers sudden groan as they collapse, their innate motion sickness kicking in as Ajeel looks on in shock.

"Hehhh!?" He shouted in a shocked manner as he watched them hold their mouths in an attempt to not retch, the Spriggan Twelve's eye twitching a bit from the disrespect he assumed they were showing him.

"Aren't you the one who was yapping at me earlier, after you gave me that punch?" He asked Wendy as he grabbed her by the scruff of her neck, raising her up to eye level as she leveled a glare at him.

"Heh, those are some good eyes. But sorry to tell you this girly, what could a band of small fry like you lot do to me?" He asked her in a haughty manner, raising his free hand as sand began to shift around the limb.

As Ajeel prepares to kill the young Man, he flinches as his men are knocked out and scattered in the air when the bow of his ship is sliced off. Confused, he tosses Wendy towards Gajeel, Lily and Carla before turning to face the source of aggression he had felt from a few seconds prior to the damage to his ship sustained earlier. A vein popping on his head, he leveled a glare at Erza as he stared at her rather impassive yet imposing gaze.

"Carla, Lily. Get Gajeel and Carla and Wendy out of here." Erza told the two exceeds in a stern tone, the two following her command as Ajeel's anger and ire rose.

"And you are?" He asked in an angry and irritated tone, clenching his teeth as he stared at her armored form.

"She who will cut you down." Erza answered in a cold and focused manner, pointing her blade towards him as the atmosphere turned much more tense then before.

"Heh, that so? Well hate to break it to you, but like I told that other girl, you small fry can't do shit to us!" Ajeel sneered as he unleashed his Magic, devouring the area of the ship they were dueling within in a sandstorm caused by his **Sand World** as Erza's tension grew in sync with the size of the spreading sand.

"You're kidding me..." She muttered in an anxious tone as he revealed his might even prior to exchanging blows, though the red haired Mage went on the offensive as Ajeel continued to fuel the sand.

The battle begins and Erza requips into her **Heaven's Wheel Armor**, launching her **Circle Sword** at Ajeel, who effortlessly defends himself, claiming that such attack won't even scratch him. However, Erza quickly follows with her next armor, her **Black Wing Armor** and uses her **Moon Flash**, which Ajeel evades at high speed. Gritting her teeth a bit in frustration, the red haired Mage forcibly calms herself before requipping into her **Flight Armor**, nearly doubling her speed as she finally lands a solid blow on Ajeel. A bit stunned, his lapse in concentration was exploited when Erza

"Hoo? So you're not all talk, are you. Wonder how many other people in your guild are this strong." Ajeel quipped in a rather nonchalant manner as Erza's eyes narrowed in response, his speed beginning to outpace her own before she managed to land one more blow on the man.

"Nice try, but too bad." He sneered as she looked on a bit stunned that unlike earlier he sustained no damage, her lapse in concentration costing her as she was blown away by an arm made of sand.

"Looks like I need to be more careful." Erza whispered to herself as she reequipped into her **Wind God Armor**, equipping the sword of said armor as another arm of sand flew towards her.

But unlike before, the sand arm was blown away with the winds generated by Erza's sword. A bit surprised that she was able to perform such a feat, he was greatly surprised when Erza rushed him. Though that surprise wore off when he flashed a haughty smirk, expecting the same result from earlier as he drew his arms back in preparation to blow her away. Though, that haughty attitude allowed Erza to heavily damage the man, having equipped her **Sea Empress Sword**, hardening the sand that made up his body allowing her to damage him.

"Now you've done it!" Ajeel roared as his sands suddenly increased in intensity and volume, heavily obscuring the view of the red haired Mage as Erza tightened her guard.

Enraged, Ajeel unleashes a vortex of sand towards the redhead, however, Erza quickly gets rid of it with her **Wind God Sword**, stating that she's seen through his Magic, stating that sand has far too many weaknesses. As she is about to move once more, Ajeel smirks, asking if she can do the same to a larger sandstorm.

"If you mean the sand covering this ship, there's no need to focus on it." Erza replied as she blew away another vortex of sand sent her away, Ajeel's smirk growing when he heard her response.

"The entire town...?" Erza whispered to herself as she saw the extent of which Ajeel's Magic had influenced, taking note that it seemed to be even growing as she watched it.

"Shrinking an entire island... Raising a sandstorm of this size... These guys really are on a completely different level then any of our previous enemies." Erza said to herself in a slightly anxious manner as she tried to locate Ajeel, though the man appears before her in the midst of the sand.

"I'd like to welcome you to my Sand World. Here, I am God! **Ramal Sayf**!" He told her in a haughty manner, sending a heavy volley of dense and high speed bladed sand at the redhead.

Erza who ends up being pushed back, with Ajeel provoking her further, attempts to slash through the sand, temporarily dispersing it. However, Ajeel appears right in front of her and grabs her by the neck, holding her midair. He continues telling her to worship him as a god, while his ability begins to drain the water from Erza's body. Even though she's greatly suffering, Erza states that no one from the guild would ever bow down to such a god, claiming that they have their own beliefs and requips into her **Morning Star Armor**.

Thinking that Erza's action will be of no help to her, Ajeel creates an axe of sand, ready to take her head. However, the light from Erza's armor is noticed by Bisca, who, at the ground, is waiting with a charged **Jupiter Cannon** and so, she fires the cannon to the light's direction, hitting the target. Unable to believe this, Ajeel is blown away and Erza, now in her **Nakagami Armor**, quickly slashes through Ajeel, defeating him with her **Nakagami Starlight**, which causes the sandstorm to finally disappear.

With the sands dispersed and Ajeel falling, Erza's stamina reaches its limit as the damage she sustained from Ajeel finally takes its toll. The redhead falling to the ground, she was far from the reach of her companions as Gajeel and Wendy had taken to the opposite side of the town to aide their companions in holding back the forces who had somehow managed to infiltrate the town. Her eyes unfocused and the light fading from them, she saw the ground slowly begin to get closer as she let them gently close, knowing that it was futile given her current state.

Her Magic nearly drained, her stamina exhausted, Erza was falling to the Earth in a graceful manner that befitted her title of Titania, the Queen of the Fairies. As she neared, her unfocused eyes slowly regained that focus before widening slightly when she saw the mass of black that was the forces of Alvarez. Not wanting to believe that such a force had acutally landed on Fiore without being intercepted, Erza's eyes finally closed with bitter resignation etched onto her visage. When she was within a few meters of impacting, Erza braced herself for the impact only to feel someone catch her, breaking her fall. A bit confused and slightly frightened, she slowly opened her eyes only to widen them and have her breath hitch, doing nothing to ease the flow of tears that began falling from her eyes.

"Fairy Tail Mages! Quickly, take care of them!" The commanding officer of the first regiment of the Alvarez Forces called out as his men quickened their pace, rushing towards the position of the redhead and the cloaked figure holding her like a treasure.

"N-Natsu...?" Erza whispered in a tone that held nothing but hope and adoration, shakily raising her hand towards his face as she desperately wished that what she was seeing wasn't a hallucination caused by the fatigue she was experiencing.

"Erza... You did... Well..." He told her in a proud and gentle manner, a small but warm smile on his face as her's scrunched up into a sob before she buried her face into his chest.

"They appear weakened, quickly!" The closest solider shouted as the morale of his comrades were immediately raised upon hearing about the situation of the Mages, drawing their arms before firing them towards the pair of motionless Mages.

A heavy explosion resounding from the impact of the Magical arms that were fired towards their position, Natsu and Erza were obscured by a blanket of dust and debris and the Alvarez soldiers continued to fired upon the relative area that they were standing before the dust covered them. After a full minute of continuous fire, the soldiers ceased as they awaited the results of their actions. Though, when the dust finally settled, a cold chill ran down the spines of the soldiers as they witness what could only be called a demon in human form standing before them.

"You... Are all... Going to pay..." Natsu told them in a frigid tone as he held a sleeping Erza to his chest, his Magical Pressure quickly rising above that of Ajeel as the soldiers instinctively took a step back in fear of the being before them.

"**Fire Dragon's... Roar**!" Natsu said in a soft tone as he took a lungful of air before breathing it towards the soldiers, his breath being turned into a hellish stream of flames that devoured the soldiers before him.

A horrific contrast to the gentle lungful of air that he had taken in, Natsu unleashed a stream of flames that seemed to incinerate even the air itself, the crackle and popping of the adjacent area being pleasant compared to the molten slag and lava that resulted from his roar. But that was only the initial phase of his roar, the second quickly occurring when the stream of flames finally came in direct contact with the ground. The moment the flames touched solid ground, it triggered a heavy explosion of flames that ensnared and consumed everything in the adjacent area, reducing the numbers of the soldiers by a quarter of their original selves.

Terrified and unable to grasp what had just happened, the soldiers turned and made a tactical retreat, running like the reaper itself had come to claim them of their lives. As they left the unconscious, charred and smoldering forms of their fallen comrades, they quickly cleared the area as Natsu stared impassively at their shrinking forms. Once they were out of sight and from his sense of smell, he let a gentle breath out before glancing down at the young woman snuggling into his chest while taking in his scent with a euphoric expression on his face.

"You still... Haven't changed... Erza..." He whispered in a mirthful tone as he turned and began the trek back to Magnolia, taking note that many other battles were about to begin.

"Time to... Get my... Freedom back..." He said in a dangerous and focused tone, his Magical Pressure causing the ground to quake more and more the closer he neared the town.

* * *

**And that's a wrap. Nothing too epic of a new chapter but I wanted to make it long for all of you guys who still want to see more of this story. As for my ship, well ships, if you really wanna know, I'm a guy who supports a certain redheaded Mage and Sky Dragon Slayer (I ain't a lolicon, like Mest, but Wendy is 412, right?), just think they got some good chemistry. But anywho, leave a review, PM, etc., etc. Well that's all for now folks, hopefully won't be a year til the next one but we'll see, we'll see. As always, thanks for reading and you all stay awesome, alright?**


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